Banned Australian cricketers Steven Smith and David Warner will have to serve out the entire duration of the sanctions imposed by them as per the latest announcement by Cricket Australia.
This official statement came from the board as a response to Australian Cricketers' Association's plea to bring them back before their original bans would end.
What this ruling means is that both Smith and Warner are ruled out of the home series against India as they can make a comeback only after March 29, 2019. However, Cameron Bancroft might still be considered as an option as his ban ends on December 29.
'Board has deliberated on the ACA's submission at length'
"The Cricket Australia Board has carefully considered all elements of the ACA submission and has determined that it is not appropriate to make any changes to the sanctions handed down to the three players," CA Interim Chair Earl Eddings said.
"Despite the absence of any recommendation regarding the sanctions in the recently released Ethics Centre Review, the Board has deliberated on the ACA's submission at length. We have reconsidered the sanctions as they apply to each of Steve, David and Cameron in light of the ACA's submission and the Ethics Centre Review and Recommendations," he further added.
Eddings also ensured that the matter was put to rest as far as deliberations with the ACA were concerned.
Earlier, the Longstaff review had pinned the blame on Cricket Australia for creating a 'win without counting costs' culture that they reckoned eventually led to the incidents which took place at Cape Town. On the basis of this finding, the ACA had made the plea to revoke the ban on the players which the CA has now tossed by the wayside.
"Steve, David and Cameron are working hard to demonstrate their commitment to cricket and have our continued support to ensure their pathway to return is as smooth as possible," Eddings further said in his statement.
