Sandpaper, lies and videotape: Warner fingered by CA

[G_B_]

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Johannesburg: The twists and turns have just kept coming in Australia's ball-tampering disgrace in South Africa with Cricket Australia admitting it was sandpaper and not tape that was used and that David Warner had been the architect, even instructing Cameron Bancroft how to cheat.

As Steve Smith and Warner received 12-months bans from playing for Australia - and were banned by India from the IPL - CA released a jaw-dropping charge sheet against the sacked captain and vice-captain and opener Bancroft, who has been suspended for nine months.

The most stunning revelation was that it had been sandpaper, and not a piece of yellow tape, that Bancroft had used to try and alter the condition of the ball at Newlands and then hid down his pants in full view of the television cameras.

However, CA also lambasted Smith for making "misleading" public comments about the incident and confirmed Warner's position at the heart of the scandal, banning him from ever captaining Australia.

The governing body's investigation established that Warner had not only told Bancroft to take the sandpaper onto the ground, but had gone as far as giving Bancroft a tutorial on how to tamper with the ball.

Warner was found to have been behind the "development" of the plan and was alleged to have given "instruction to a junior player to carry out a plan to take steps to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball using sandpaper".

Further, and most damningly, it was concluded that he provided "advice to a junior player regarding how a ball could be artificially altered including demonstrating how it could be done."

Smith, who is prohibited from captaining Australia until a year after his ban expires, was also slammed for his part in the conspiracy and the attempted cover-up.

 

He was far from spared in the report, which took him to task for having knowledge of the plot, for failing to take steps to seek to prevent the development and implementation of that plan and for "directing that evidence of attempted tampering be concealed on the field of play".

Smith was also found to have been guilty of "seeking to mislead match officials and others" about Bancroft's conduct on the field.

He had joined umpires Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth for a discussion with Bancroft shortly after the opener had been seen to pull a foreign object from his pocket and use it to try and rough up one side of the ball.

Seconds earlier Bancroft, realising the umpires had become aware of what he was up to due to the live television coverage, had been spoken to by substitute Peter Handscomb, who had raced onto the ground after appearing to have a conversation via walkie-talkie with coach Darren Lehmann.

CA chief executive James Sutherland said Lehmann had radioed down to the players’ dugout to ask what was going on.

Bancroft, having trousered the sandpaper, then produced a black cloth from his pocket when he and Smith were asked to explain what he was up to.

Smith was further reprimanded for "misleading public comments regarding the nature, extent and participants of the plan", relating to his claim after the day's play that it had been him and the leadership group that had devised the tactics.

Handscomb and Lehmann have not featured in the sanctions, with CA adamant that prior knowledge was restricted to three players.

Bancroft was charged with having knowledge of and being a party to the plan, with seeking to conceal evidence of his attempts to cheat and for trying to mislead match officials.

 

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/sandpaper-lies-and-videotape-warner-fingered-by-ca-as-architect-20180328-p4z6sk.html

[Pollack]

Smith was further reprimanded for "misleading public comments regarding the nature, extent and participants of the plan", relating to his claim after the day's play that it had been him and the leadership group that had devised the tactics.

 

Yes, we believe totally. 

[nevada]

Smith deserves life ban for perjury. He is obviously lying that this is the first time ever and is covering up for his bowlers and coach. He should have come clean. But he has a habit of lying. He made up "brain fade" to claim that he had taken dressing room help for the first time.

Edited March 28, 2018 by nevada