Players’ union calls for reduced bans for Steve Smith, David Warner, Cameron Bancroft

Agencies
April 3, 2018

Sydney, Apr 3: Australia’s players’ union has called for a reduction in the bans handed out to Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft for their part in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa last week, describing them as “disproportionate”. Former captain Smith and former vice-captain Warner were handed 12-month bans, and batsman Bancroft suspended for nine months by Cricket Australia after the latter was caught using a piece of sandpaper on the ball in the third test in Cape Town.

“The proposed penalties are disproportionate relative to precedent,” Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) president Greg Dyer told a news conference in Sydney on Tuesday. “We ask that consideration be given to recalibrating the proposed sanctions, to consider options such as suspending or reducing part of the sanction.

“To consider allowing the players to return to domestic cricket earlier, for example, as part of their rehabilitation.” The players have until Thursday to appeal their bans, decisions Dyer believed were “imminent” but “highly personal” to be decided by the players with their own legal counsel.

The trio returned to Australia at the end of last week, all three giving emotional news conferences where they accepted responsibility for their actions with none suggesting they might appeal. Smith and Warner, who were also stripped of their leadership positions, stand to lose millions of dollars in earnings with sponsors dropping them last week and the bans costing them $1.85 million Indian Premier League contracts for this season.

Smith and Bancroft were banned from holding leadership positions within the Australian team for two years, while Warner will never be able to hold such a position again. The harsher penalty for Warner reflects the findings of the Cricket Australia investigation which alleged the opening batsman was the chief instigator of the plot to cheat.

Warner, who has said he was resigned to not playing for his country again, attracted some criticism after his news conference in Sydney on Saturday for not answering questions, instead deflecting them with a pre-prepared line. Bancroft was cast as the junior player led astray by Warner, while Smith appears to be well on his way to redemption after breaking down in tears after his arrival news conference.

Dyer said the contrition of the players should be taken into account along with the precedent — no player has previously received more than a one-match ban for the offence — and a lack of due process in the Cricket Australia probe.

“I think Australia cried with Steve Smith last Thursday. I know I certainly did,” Dyer added. “We ask for this extraordinary contrition to be taken into account by Cricket Australia just as it would be in any fair and proper process.”

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News Network
March 29,2020

New Delhi, Mar 29: Former Indian batsman Wasim Jaffer on Sunday picked his all-time IPL team and appointed wicket-keeper batsman MS Dhoni as its captain.

Jaffer's team's feature opener Rohit Sharma, current Indian skipper Virat Kohli, all-rounder Hardik Pandya, spinner R Ashwin, and pacer Jasprit Bumrah as seven domestic players.
While the foreign players spot have been occupied by West Indies' swashbuckling batsman Chris Gayle, all-rounder Andre Russell, Afghanistan's spinner Rashid Khan, and Sri Lanka's veteran pacer Lasith Malinga.
Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been picked as 12th man by Jaffer.

Earlier this month, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to postpone the IPL to April 15, 2020, as a precautionary measure against COVID-19 outbreak.
The board also assured that it will work in unison with the Sports Ministry and will adhere to the guidelines issued.

The 13th edition of IPL was scheduled to commence from March 29. 

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News Network
February 22,2020

Sydney, Feb 22: India's demolition of a formidable Australia in the Women's T20 World Cup opener will give them a huge boost going forward, said star batswoman Mithali Raj, who also lauded leggie Poonam Yadav for her magical performance.

Poonam took four for 19 to help India complete a 17-run victory against defending champions Australia on Friday.

"Everyone has been talking about how much batting depth Australia have, yet they couldn't chase 132," Raj, a former India Test and ODI captain, said in an ICC release.

"India will take so much confidence from that victory, but this World Cup is still very open. The match between Australia and India proved how competitive the tournament will be. It proves it does not matter where you stand in the ICC rankings.

"We will be seeing more of the same drama yet. This victory proves every team has a chance," said Raj, who has retired from T20 cricket.

The 37-year-old veteran batswoman said "the opening match definitely lived up to the hype of the tournament".

"It was a whirlwind. There were so many ups and downs. It was a great start to the tournament not only because India beat the defending champions on home soil, but also because of how the game progressed altogether.

"At no point could you say it was going in one side's favour. First we saw our early wickets fall, then we recovered and Australia had to chase 132 before their middle-order collapsed. India and Australia both took the game their own way at different points which made it fascinating for spectators to watch."

Raj said Poonam's spell was the turning point.

"She's been one of the main spinners for India for quite some time now, and her style worked again. Getting their (Australia's) middle-order out really titled the match towards India, she was brilliant.

"Although we recovered our innings through Deepti Sharma and her partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues, it was Poonam's flurry of wickets against Australia's megastars, which completely changed the game," Raj said.

Raj also praised 16-year-old Shafali Verma for scoring 29 off 15 on her World Cup debut.

"Shafali Verma impressed me too on her debut. She gave India's middle order the cushioning they needed to regain momentum. Verma has stuck with stroke play that she demonstrated in the tri-series," she said.

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News Network
April 7,2020

London, Apr 7: Bowling coach Waqar Younis feels that it was the absence of pacers Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Amir which saw Pakistan getting whitewashed during Australia tour last year.

Amir and Riaz had quit the red-ball format ahead of the matches against Australia in 2019.

"Just before the Australia series, they ditched us and we had the only choice to pick youngsters.

We were the new management and decided to go on with taking in the younger lot and groom them. ESPNcricinfo quoted Younis as saying.

Pakistan was not able to win a single match in Australia as they got defeated both in T20Is and Test series.

"It's not like we have lost a lot, but yes they left us at the wrong time. But anyway, we don't have any grudge against them," Younis added.

"We cannot control players' choice on what they want to play, but then there should be a mechanism so we all are on board. "It's not like I am saying we could have won in Australia but we could have done better than what we have done," he opined.

Amir gave up the red ball format in July in order to manage his workload and extend his white-ball career for Pakistan as well as in T20 leagues around the world, while Riaz took an "indefinite break" from Test cricket in September last year.

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