Ball-tampering row: Deeply troubled' Steve Waugh issues Facebook statement

Sydney: Captaincy, vice-captaincy, coaching and cricketing career and more importantly, reputations are at stake for Steve Smith, David Warner and Darren Lehmann in the wake of ball-tampering saga in the third South Africa versus Australia Test in Cape Town.

While the cricket fraternity has come down heavily on the Australian cricket team’s culture, James Sutherland’s, CEO of Cricket Australia, arrival in South Africa could well see hastening of process to decide the trio’s future.

Although neither Smith and Warner nor Lehmann were a part of executing the act, Cameron Bancroft’s actions, supported by Australia’s “leadership group”, has invited a raging criticism.

Steve Waugh, one of the finest to have ever led Australia, took to his Facebook, saying he is “deeply troubled” by the incidents in Cape Town and “will support all positive action to ensure an outcome for the betterment of the game, regaining the trust and faith of every fan of cricket”.

Here’s the entire text of Waugh’s statement: