The captain of the Australian cricket team Steven Smith has been suspended for the next test match and fined 100 percent of his match fee in an escalating row over cheating.
ADVERTISEMENTThe captain of the Australian cricket team Steven Smith has been suspended for the next test match and fined 100 percent of his match fee in an escalating row over his and his senior teammates cheating during the third test against South Africa.
Both Smith and vice-captain David Warner had already stepped aside for the rest of the ongoing test amid howls of scandal, not only for the exposed cheating, but also for the way peer pressure was put on a junior player, Cameron Bancroft, to tamper with the ball.
"Being the leader of the team I'm incredibly sorry for, I guess, bringing the game into disrepute the way that we did today," said a sheepish Smith at a special press conference.
Governing body Cricket Australia also lost no time expressing disapproval, and being sports-mad Australia, so did the prime minister.
"The whole nation who holds those who wear the baggy green up on a pedestal about as high as you can get in Australia, certainly higher than any politician that's for sure. This is a shocking disappointment," said Malcolm Turnbull.
Some have asked why Smith waited 24 hours before stepping down from the captaincy, while others have said it should be stripped from him permanently.