Smith could face life ban

Australia captain Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner could face harsh sanctions – anything up to a life ban for their involvement in the ball-tampering incident which already saw skipper Smith being banned for the next Test match.

Even the Australian Prime Minister weighed in yesterday, saying that decisive action must be taken while fans and media expressed deep concern following Smith’s shock admission.

Australia slumped to a 322-run defeat against the Proteas in the third Test but the fall out of the ball-tampering incident could potentially have much greater ramifications for the Australian captain.

During the third day's play, Cameron Bancroft rubbed on the ball using a yellow sticky-tape before one of Super Sport’s cameras focused on the player. The player appeared to be shoving something down his pants and was called over by on field umpires Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth but at the time Bancroft produced a piece of clothing from his pocket. Later television footages appeared and ICC charged Bancroft with ball-tampering. 

Smith had admitted to the offence and took responsibility for the team’s actions but had suggested that he was not going to step down as skipper.

Smith detailed an orchestrated effort from the team's "leadership group" to use sticky tape to pick up hard granules from the pitch and rub these against the ball to try to alter its condition and get it to swing. He however suggested that coach Darren Lehmann was not involved.

The ‘leadership group’ in question also included the likes of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon and did not involve the ‘full leadership group’ according to ESPNCricinfo. This meant the focus has sharpened on both Smith and his deputy Warner.

The pair stood down from their respective roles of captain and vice-captain before start of play on Day 4 of the third Test. Tim Paine was appointed captain for the remainder of the third Test.

“It’s been a horrible 24 hours,” Paine told reporters.

“They’re struggling, but probably the reality and the enormity of what’s happened is starting to sink in.

“I don’t think we all would have expected this to be as big as it has been and particularly the fallout that we have seen from back home.”

CA had earlier sent head of integrity Iain Roy and head of team performance Pat Howard to Cape Town to conduct an investigation and chief James Sutherland will travel to South Africa today to understand the findings of the situation and to determine outcomes.

Smith and his teammates are to be interviewed by the investigation team and Sutherland’s impending arrival means that CA are looking to impose penalties behind those already handed by the ICC.