Ball tampering: Cricket Australia bans Smith, Warner for 1 year, Bancroft for 9 mths

Johannesburg: It’s getting worse for Steve Smith and David Warner as Cricket Australia (CA) has banned the two for a year following the ball-tampering row in South Africa while Cameron Bancroft is hit with a 9-year suspension.

On Tuesday, the Australian cricket board had suspended the two and Bancroft -- all three accused of ball-tampering on Day 3 of the third Test against Faf du Plessis and co. CA CEO James Sutherland had said the sanctions would be announced in “24 hours”.

A report in ABC news confirmed the development.

"I understand that Steve Smith and David Warner are getting a 12-month ban from the game in Australia," said ABC's chief cricket commentator Jim Maxwell.

"I don't know how that affects them elsewhere in the world, but I understand that is the nature of the penalty, the sanction as they like to call it," he added.

The trio was breached article 2.3.5 of the CA Code of Conduct. The article relates to conduct at any time that is contrary to the spirit of the game, unbecoming of a representative, harmful to the interests of the game, or bringing the game into disrepute.

While the three are banned from all elite Australian cricket for 12 months, they can still play grade cricket, said a report in The Sydney Morning Herald.