IPL 2018: 'Steve Smith and David Warner spared from Indian audience' says Ian Chappell

David Warner and Steve Smith have recently been handed a ban for a year by Cricket Australia (CA) following the shambolic ball-tampering saga. Moreover, the Australian cricketers’ contracts have also been cancelled for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Both Warner and Smith were skippers of their respective sides- Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rajasthan Royals (RR).

However, Ian Chappell, the current commentator and former Australian cricketer,  feels that their ouster from the T20 league might be a blessing in disguise for the two stalwarts of the team. The legendary cricketer recently wrote a column where he mentioned that they would have been severely bashed during play by the crowd after what has happened over the past few days.

“Less inspiring governance”- Chappell

“… While this is a severe hit to their bank balance, it may also be sparing them the wrath of the Indian public, coming as it would have done so close on the heels of the ball-tampering scandal. It’s also a welcome occurrence if it’s a sign that the BCCI is cracking down on bad behavior under its jurisdiction,” Chappell mentioned in his column for ESPNcricinfo.

He also highlighted the incompetence of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over these issues. “Its (BCCI) governance in recent years has been less than inspiring, and if this latest move represents a shift in attitude among cricket administrators, then the Cape Town calamity won’t have been a complete black hole,” the Aussie added.

Australian cricket has been jolted massively owing to Cameron Bancroft‘s attempt to change the condition of the leather. Apart from Smith and Warner, Bancroft has also been slapped with a ban of nine months. After the incident, Australia are in with a daunting task of replacing the suspended cricketers at least for the next twelve months.

Here is the timeline of the Sandpaper Gate:

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