After Steve Smith’s emotional press conference in Sydney on Thursday, where the former Australian skipper broke down on numerous occasions, Sachin Tendulkar has urged the extended cricket fraternity to take a “step back and give some space” to the disgraced Australian trio of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft as they apologised for their involvement in the ball-tampering episode in South Africa.
“They are regretting and hurting and will have to live with the consequences of their act. Spare a thought for their families as they have much to endure along with the players. Time for all of us to take a step back and give them some space,” Tendulkar wrote on his twitter handle.
Cricket Australia have banned former skipper Smith and vice-captain David Warner from all international and domestic cricket for a year while Bancroft was banned for nine months for their pre-meditated plan to tamper with the ball by using a foreign object in the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town.
This was soon after Smith fought back tears as he claimed full responsibility for the conspiracy that destroyed his reputation, while Warner and Bancroft also offered their apologies for the scandal that plunged Australian cricket into turmoil.
On Wednesday, after Cricket Australia announced the sanctions against the trio, Tendulkar had welcomed the verdict and twitted, “Cricket has been known as a gentleman's game. It's a game that I believe should be played in the purest form. Whatever has happened is unfortunate but the right decision has been taken to uphold the integrity of the game. Winning is important but the way you win is more important.”
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