Cricket Australia has confirmed Steve Smith and David Warner have stood down as captain and vice-captain for the remainder of the third Test against South Africa following Saturday's ball-tampering controversy, with Tim Paine taking over as acting skipper.
On a remarkable third day in Cape Town, Australia batsman Cameron Bancroft was charged with ball-tampering after being caught on camera using yellow tape in an apparent attempt to alter the condition of the ball.
In a subsequent news conference, Bancroft admitted his guilt while Smith revealed the team's leadership group had been actively involved in devising the plot.
READ: Australian Government wants Smith to stand down as captain
Smith stressed that he would not consider stepping away from his role as captain, but he has now relinquished the position after talks with CA.
"Following discussions with Steve Smith and David Warner they have agreed to stand down as captain and vice-captain respectively for the remainder of this Test match," said CA CEO James Sutherland.
"This Test match needs to proceed, and in the interim we will continue to investigate this matter with the urgency that it demands.
"As I said earlier today, Cricket Australia and Australian cricket fans expect certain standards of conduct from cricketers representing our country, and on this occasion these standards have not been met.
"All Australians, like us, want answers and we will keep you updated on our findings, as a matter of priority."
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