12 months good for Smith-Warner, suggests former Aussie captain
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell has stated that Cricket Australia have done former captain and vice-captain Steve Smith and David Warner “a huge favour” by banning them from international for the next 12 months.
During the third Test, Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper to tamper with the ball and alter its condition in order to generate reverse-swing. When the umpires asked about what he was up to, he lied and cleared his pockets to show his handkerchief as he had hidden the sandpaper down his pants.
He and Steve Smith, however, admitted to tampering the ball and were handed a 9 and 12 months ban, respectively, with David Warner—the main instigator of the plan—getting a yearlong ban himself.
Ian Chappell, meanwhile, suggested that getting banned for a year was a good thing for the duo.
“The players would be silly to appeal,” Ian Chappell was quoted saying by Fox Sports Australia.
“As far as I’m concerned Cricket Australia has done Warner and Smith a huge favour because they’ve banned them for 12 months.”
Chappell’s reasoning was that the duo would face public heat if they played in front of them and that it would hamper their morale.
“Imagine if next summer they’re playing in Australia and they are getting booed by their home crowd.
“That’s one, not going to do their confidence any good. Two, it’s not going to their rehab much good. And three, it’s not going the Cricket Australia image much good at all, so I think it’s a sensible ban.”
While Ian Chappell’s words do make sense in retrospect, the general consensus among most people is that the ban on the duo was a little too harsh. Smith and Warner do have the option to appeal their bans and should perhaps give it a shot in order to save some precious months of their respective careers.
