Cricket Australia To Consider Lifting Bans On Steven Smith, David Warner And Cameron Bancroft

Here comes the good news for the fans of Steven Smith and David Warner.  Cricket Australia might consider Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) plea to lift the bans on the discarded trio. Recently, they have submitted a request to the board to revoke the bans with immediate effect.

The trio was banned for their role in the ball-tampering saga against South Africa on their last tour. The leadership members Steven Smith and David Warner were handed a 12-month ban while Cameron Bancroft received a 9-month suspension.

Cricket Australia received the proposal:

The Cricket Austalia CEO Kevin Roberts quoted that the board has received the proposal from the ACA officials to revoke the ban with immediate effect. Expressing his personal opinion, he feels that CA should withdraw the ban.

“The ACA’s submission around the player sanctions was received by the board a few days ago. It was addressed by the board rather than to me or management. So it’s not for me to comment on a board matter other than to say the board will be respecting that submission and giving it due consideration,” CA CEO Kevin Robers quoted to Fox Sports.

“Given there is no independent verification that CA’s system and culture were contributing factors, the ACA Executive calls for the lifting of the Board imposed penalties on Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft,” ACA president Greg Dyer had said.

Players already lost a lot – Greg Dyer

Speaking further, he added that the respective players have already lost a lot while serving the ban. And also, he highlighted a few factors, which might favour the players to make a quick comeback to the national circuit.

“We note that the Board of CA has both the power and in our view the moral obligation to do so. With this new information; common sense, common decency, basic fairness, proportionality which we have talked about from the outset, and natural justice demand that the punishment is reduced. The players have already lost time in the game. And also,  Chances to play for Australia, endured public humiliation and faced massive financial penalties. They are contrite,” he explained.

“My message to Cricket Australia is a simple one: these contrite men have been punished enough. Let them play. I add that the ACA will be relentless in pursuing this end,” he inferred.

However, it would be interesting to see whether Cricket Australia considers the plea from ACA. Meanwhile, in a case of lifting the ban, it would do a world of good for the Australian team across the formats.