Australia's ball tampering scandal rocks the world

Yesterday (March 24) was a dark day for Cricket as Australia has been left embarrassed and ashamed after its captain Steve Smith confessed to hatching a plan with senior players to tamper with the ball in the third test against South Africa. Cameron Bancroft, the fielder chosen to carry out the tampering, admitted to cheating after he was caught red-handed on television. In the footage, he could be seen using a piece of sticky tape to rub dirt into the ball, then attempted to hide the tape down his trousers when umpires suspected of something odd. The Australian Sports Commission has called for Steve Smith to be sacked immediately in the wake of the scandal. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland called it a “sad day” for Australian cricket but said the governing body would take no action against Smith or coach Darren Lehmann until a full investigation was complete. International Cricket Congress has banned Steve Smith for one match and fined his entire match fee. Cricket Australia also announced that Australia captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner have stood down from their respective leadership roles for the remainder of the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town. Wicketkeeper Tim Paine will act as captain at New-lands, with both Smith and Warner taking the field.