CA sanctions full of anomalies, says ACA

The ACA has pointed out "a number of glaring and clear anomalies in the process to date."

The Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) on Thursday questioned the "severity and proportionality of the proposed sanctions" by Cricket Australia in the ball-tampering episode involving Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

While Smith and Warner were banned from international cricket for 12 months, Bancroft was sidelined for nine months.

Read: 'Warner isn't a bad person'

But ACA, the 'collective and representative voice' of all Australian cricketers, past and present, has pointed out "a number of glaring and clear anomalies in the process to date."

Read: 'Warner hatched ball-tampering plan, Bancroft used sandpaper'

Those include:

• The grading and sanctions proposed are considerably higher than the ICC's grading and sanctions;
• The disproportionally between the proposed sanctions and those previously handed down in world cricket for 'changing the condition of the ball' - including by captains of international teams applying artificial substances;
• The activation of CA's Board as a deliberative body on the proposed sanctions;
• That public statements by CA to date have not referenced consideration of contextual factors including the environment in South Africa during the series and the impacts on individual players;
• The rush to place players before the world's media last Saturday night without the benefit of considered and coherent advice.

In the days following the 'Sandpaper gate', CA had proposed an independent review into "the conduct and culture" of the men's teams. And the ACA has called for the proposed cultural review to be fully independent and to consider all relevant factors and context surrounding these acts.