Shane Watson’s 41-ball 63 helped Sutherland win by three wickets.
Steve Smith (L) and David Warner (R) (Photo: Twitter/@cricketcomau)
Former Australian skipper Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner were Saturday on the same ground for the first time since the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Cricket Australia. The two were playing in the Australian domestic T20 league, at Coogee Oval.
While Steve Smith was playing for Sutherland, David Warner was representing Randwick Petersham. As per a report in cricket.com.au, both Smith and Warner were given a warm reception by the fans. Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson was also part of the match as Test great Steve Waugh and Mitchell Johnson were watching from the stands.
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Steve Smith missed his half-century as he was sent back at 48. David Warner scored just 13 runs with the help of two boundaries before he was dismissed by Steve Waugh’s son, Austin Waugh. Watson, however, fared much better than Smith and Warner when his turn came to bat.
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Shane Watson’s 41-ball 63 helped Sutherland win by three wickets.
It is the first time that banned Austalia duo had shared a pitch since being sent home from South Africa in March 2018 for their involvement in tampering with the ball using sandpaper.
Cricket Australia had banned both Steve Snith and David Warner for one year in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal. However, months after the incident, an independent review by the Sydney-based Ethics Centre into the scandal condemned “an arrogant” and “controlling” culture at Cricket Australia (CA).
After the report was made public, the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) has requested CA to cut down the ban.
“There must be a reconsideration of the harshness of the penalties handed down to Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft,” ACA President Greg Dyer was quoted as saying to AFP.
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