The ball-tampering incident has brought a dark cloud on tainted-trio’s cricketing career. However, James Sutherland, CEO of Cricket Australia (CA), recently backed the trio and said that they deserve their opportunities to play for the nation once again.
During the day three of the third Test between the hosts South Africa and visitors Australia at Cape Town, 25-year-old opening batsman Cameron Bancroft tried to alter the ball condition by using sandpaper. Later it was revealed that skipper Steven Smith knew that whole incident. As a result, Smith and Bancroft received demerit points from ICC along with match fees fine.
More lately, it was revealed that the idea was given by vice-captain David Warner. CA suspended Smith and Warner for one-year and Bancroft for nine months from the international and domestic cricket.
Recently, CA CEO James Sutherland backed the three players by saying that they deserve their chances.
Talking on SEN Radio, Sutherland said, “Everyone deserves their chance and their own personal redemption story is very much in their own hands now. Each of them have to go about that during the time they’re out of the game and prove that their worthy (and) prove to the Australian selectors that they should want them back. They deserve that opportunity. I feel for all three players. I feel forgiveness for all of them. I feel sympathy for them and I want to see them all come back and play their best cricket. I believe they all can.”
While Bancroft can restart his cricketing journey in early next summer, Smith, and Warner have to wait till March 2019.
Sutherland also praised David Warner’s effort in recent Australian cricket (before the ball-tampering incident). When Sutherland was asked if it was the mistake to appoint David Warner as vice-captain, he firmly denied.
Sutherland said on that, “David was very focused on being a better cricketer, being a better leader, being a better person and he worked very hard on those things. There were certainly good signals in that regard. You’ve only got to go to the end of our season in Australia before the team went to South Africa where he captained the team (in) a successful tri-series T20 competition to victory. All of the reports were that he led the team with aplomb. His leadership in all that was outstanding.”
