IPL 2018: Why Smith must not be treated as criminal over ball tampering row
IPL 2018 : The ball tampering scandal involving Australian cricket team captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and opening batsman Cameron Bancroft has seen some serious action being taken by Cricket Australia, as well as Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council. Four days after the scandal came to light, Cricket Australia swung into action on Wednesday and suspended all three. While Smith and Warner were handed a 12-month suspension from the national side, Bancroft got a 9-month suspension. Meanwhile, the IPL governing council in New Delhi also decided to bar Smith and Warner from VIvo IPL 2018. Both had earlier stepped down from the captaincy of their respective IPL 2018 franchises – Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad – after the duo had earlier been retained by the franchises for a whopping Rs 125 million each. Earlier, Australian cricket team captain Steve Smith had admitted to his side’s deliberate and pre-planned act of ball t...