MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Hobart Hurricanes wicketkeeper Emily Smith has been suspended for a year for posting the Women's Big Bash League team's line-up on social media an hour before its scheduled release, Cricket Australia said on Monday.
The ban, nine months of which are suspended, will rule the 24-year-old out of the remainder of the WBBL and the women's national cricket league, which is played in the 50-over format.
Smith posted the Hurricanes' team line-up for their Nov. 2 match in the WBBL against Sydney Thunder at Burnie on her Instagram account about an hour before it was permitted. The match was later abandoned due to bad weather.
Cricket Australia said its anti-corruption code prohibits sharing of insider information which could be used for betting.
The board acknowledged that Smith had no intention to breach the code but there was no excuse for the mistake.
"Since the commencement of the WBBL, Cricket Australia has had in place a robust anti-corruption program," said Sean Carroll, Cricket Australia's head of integrity and security.
"We have been working with Emily throughout the process and Emily now understands the mistake she made."
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Christian Radnedge)