Ball tampering case: ICC punishes Smith
Cape Town: Steven Smith stepped down as Australia captain for the remainder of the ongoing third Test against South Africa and was penalised by the ICC on Sunday in the wake of the ball-tampering controversy.
The decision comes on the back of the ongoing ball-tampering controversy, with Australia's Cameron Bancroft caught on cameras using what is believed to be a tape before attempting to hide the object down the front of his pants, moments before the umpires seemingly inquired about the contents of his pockets on the third day of the Cape Town Test on Saturday.
Television footage later showed Bancroft rubbing the ball and then seemingly putting an object back in his pocket.
As soon as the incident was shown on the giant screen, the player was questioned in the presence of his captain Steve Smith by the two on-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Nigel Llong.
The on-field officials along with third umpire Ian Gould and fourth umpire Allahudien Palekar later charged Bancroft.
Smith and Bancroft admitted to the offence after play on the day, and Bancroft was charged by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for altering the condition of the ball.
On Sunday, the ICC slapped Smith with a one-match suspension and fined his entire match fee.
"ICC chief executive David Richardson laid the charge against Smith under to Article 2.2.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for players and player support personnel which prohibits 'all types of conduct of a serious nature that is contrary to the spirit of the game'.
"Smith accepted the charge and the proposed sanction of two suspension points which equates to a ban for the next Test match and which will see four demerit points added to his record," the ICC said in a statement.
Additionally, Bancroft has been fined 75 percent of his match fee and handed three demerit points for breaching Level 2 of the ICC code of conduct.
Later on Sunday, Smith's Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals said they will wait for instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) before taking any action.
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Belthangady: Mixed response to DK Bandh over Suhas murder; stones pelting, tire fires reported
Belthangady: The Dakshina Kannada district bandh called by the Sangh Parivar in protest against the murder of rowdy sheeter Suhas Shetty received a mixed response in Belthangady taluk on Saturday. While most shops and commercial establishments remained shut, private vehicles continued to ply on the roads as usual.
The bandh supporters staged demonstrations at various locations in the taluk, expressing their anger by setting tires ablaze on the roads. Incidents of tire burning were reported from areas including Kakkinj, Mundaje, and Gerukatte.
A private bus near Guruvayankare Jainpet was targeted with stones. The front windshield of the vehicle was completely shattered in the attack. No injuries were reported.
Commercial activity came to a halt in major towns and villages such as Ujire, Belthangady, Guruvayankare, Madanthyaru, Aladangady, Kokkad, and Dharmasthala, with shops and business outlets closed. A few hotels had opened briefly in the morning hours but later downed their shutters in support of the bandh.
Transport services witnessed partial disruption. While KSRTC buses operated on local routes within the taluk and from Dharmasthala to other districts, services to Mangaluru were halted for the day. Private vehicles, however, moved around freely without major hindrance.
The police had deployed personnel in sensitive areas of the taluk to maintain law and order and ensure the bandh did not escalate into violence.
