Cricket Australia discussing terms of reducing ban of Smith-Warner-Bancroft
It has been reported that Cricket Australia's board of directors are discussing the possibility of reducing the length of the ban imposed on Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft. Smith and Warner had been handed a ban of one year, whereas, Bancroft was banned for nine months. All three were involved in a ball-tampering scandal against Proteas, earlier this year.
Australian Cricketers' Association calls for ban to be reconsidered
An independent body called the Ethics Center had released a report on how cricketers have been mismanaged by the CA, and since then, the Australian Cricketers' Association has been calling for the ban to be reduced. It believes the offense was 'by-product of the culture'.
The criticism of CA by the Ethics Center
The review mentions that players have an overall negative opinion about CA. The players also feel that they are being treated as commodities by the board. The report also stated that "structures built around elite cricket are oriented to winning, without properly counting the cost." Regarding sledging, the review conjectures that 'playing the mongrel' attitude comes from the mentality of winning, however, possible.
CA will be meeting today to discuss the possibility
Sydney Morning Herald has reported that the Cricket Australia will be meeting today to discuss the terms of the ban and the possibility of whether it can be reduced. It has also been stated that the CA will let its decision be known by Tuesday, but there will be no voting to determine whether the ban should be reduced or not.
Mitchell Johnson has tweeted his thoughts on ban reduction
Will the banned cricketers play in the upcoming India-Australia series?
Reports state that even if the ban is lifted, Smith, Warner, and Cameron will not be able to take part in the India vs Australia series. As of now, Smith and Warner's ban gets over on March 29, and Bancroft's on December 29.
