The former Test captain Steve Smith has accepted the 12-month ban given to him by Cricket Australia for his role in the ball tampering scandal and confirmed he will not appeal against the sanctions meted out to him. The opener Cameron Bancroft, who was punished alongside Smith and David Warner, has also accepted his nine-month ban.
Smith reiterated that he took full responsibility for the events during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town.
“I would give anything to have this behind me and be back representing my country,” Smith wrote on Twitter. “But I meant what I said about taking full responsibility as captain of the team.
“I won’t be challenging the sanctions. They’ve been imposed by CA to send a strong message and I have accepted them.”
Bancroft posted a tweet which read: “Today I lodged the paperwork with Cricket Australia and will be accepting the sanction handed down. I would love to put this behind me and will do whatever it takes to earn back the trust of the Australian public. Thank you to all those who have sent messages of support.”
Smith was stripped of the captaincy after he was charged with having knowledge of the plan to doctor the ball, directing Bancroft to conceal the evidence – a piece of yellow sandpaper – and attempting to mislead the match officials and the public through his explanation of events.
Warner was found to have masterminded the plan, which Bancroft carried out on the field. Warner was also handed a 12-month ban, stripped of the vice-captaincy and told he will never hold a leadership role for Australia again. A nine-month ban was imposed on Bancroft.
All three had until Thursday to confirm their intentions, with any appeal hearings pencilled in for 11 April.
The trio have been encouraged to return to club cricket during their suspensions, and they are required to complete 100 hours of voluntary service in the cricket community.
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