Former cricketing greats doomed Steve Smith and the Australian leadership group after the admission of an attempt of tampering the ball in the ongoing Test against South Africa. Various pundits took to social media to hit out at the Australian team.

ICC chief executive David Richardson leveled the charge against Smith under Article 2.2.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which prohibits ‘all types of conduct of a serious nature that is contrary to the spirit of the game’. However, Australia opener Cameron Bancroft breached Level 2 of the ICC Code of Conduct, a violation of clause 41.3, related to tampering the ball. The offense is considered light, two levels below the most serious offense.

Also read: Five infamous ball tampering incidents in cricket

For Smith, the sanction of two demerit points clearly bars a player from the next Test and will see four demerit points added to his record. Bancroft has been fined 75 percent of match fee and handed three demerit points. One more demerit point until October and he will have to sit out of one Test.

However, Cameron gathered some sympathy for being a youngster who has played just eight Tests in his young career. Talking about his former Australian captain Michael Clarke said, “I can’t believe the leadership group has got a young kid playing in his eighth Test match to do this.”

So did his former teammate Brad Hogg, “Teammate of mine, known him since he was 13. Disappointing. Out of character. Eagerly awaiting the fallout from this.”

Also read: Steven Smith’s IPL future will be decided after BCCI’s instruction

Even match referee Andy Pycroft of Zimbabwe took a sympathetic view of Bancroft’s offense, he said, “I acknowledge Cameron has accepted responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty to the charge and apologizing publicly. As a young player starting out in international cricket, I hope the lessons learned from this episode will strongly influence the way he plays the game during the rest of his career.”

Here are some tweets from cricketing fraternity for the Steve Smith and his actions:

Bud you know nothing in professional sport is done without the consent of your captain and coach… Tough times ahead.

— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) March 24, 2018

A little birdie tells me that the weak ICC punishment isn’t anywhere near what Cricket Australia is thinking….

— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) March 25, 2018

When you lose it in the head, there’s no way you can win it on the ground. Australia far too deflated after the #SandpaperGate to even contemplate a comeback…SA to get an unassailable lead. #SAvAUS

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 25, 2018

wow @ICC wow. Great treatment nd FairPlay. No ban for Bancroft with all the evidences whereas 6 of us were banned for excessive appealing in South Africa 2001 without any evidence and Remember Sydney 2008? Not found guilty and banned for 3 matches.different people different rules

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) March 25, 2018

1 Match Ban & 100 % March fee Fine for Smith #ffs … 75% match fee fine for Bancroft and some bloody De merit points for Bancroft … Pathetic penalties for CHEATING … Surely this moment was the time to set a precedent … !!?? All the team should be penalised ..

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 25, 2018