NEW DELHI: Former Australia captain Steve Smith on Thursday broke down during an emotionally charged press conference while answering tough questions in the wake of the ball-tampering saga that has seen him being banned for 12 months by his nation’s cricket board. While a wave of sympathy has followed Smith who apologised for his inaction, the British press continues to mock the Australian team, not ready to easily forget the scandal that has shaken the cricket world.
From ‘Captain Cry Baby’ in the Daily Mail’s sports page to ‘Bawl-tampering – Crying shame of Aussie cheats” of Daily Star, the headlines accompanied the images of Smith crying. Some were more considerate, like Daily Express’ ‘Broken’ and The Independent’s ‘Tear, lies & goodbyes’.
Smith, opener David Warner and Cameron Bancroft received bans after their involvement in ball tampering during the Day 3 of the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town. While Smith was also stripped of captaincy, he along with Warner, has been banned for 12 months by Cricket Australia (CA) and Bancroft will serve a 9-month ban.
Before Smith, Bancroft had asked for forgiveness saying he “will regret [ball-tampering] for the rest of my life.”
Following Smith’s press briefing on Friday, coach Darren Lehmann too announced that the fourth Test against South Africa in Johannesburg will be his last in charge of the Australian team. Warner, too, has apologised for his part and is expected to hold a press conference on Saturday.
Meanwhile, an Australian daily has claimed that match referee Daryl Harper had warned of Smith and Warner “being involved in a ball-tampering incident” in the domestic Sheffield Shield in 2016.
“When David Warner repeatedly bounced his returns in to (NSW wicket-keeper) Peter Nevill on the first day, the umpires appealed to Smith to support their calls for fair play,” the former Australian Test umpire reportedly wrote in an email to CA.
Cricket Australia has announced a review into team culture in the wake of the South Africa ball-tampering scandal.