South Africa vs Australia: CA probes ball-tamper scandal, Clarke terms incident as 'disgraceful'

Australian player Cameron Bancroft has been charged by the ICC for using yellow tape to rub on the ball to help the bowlers reverse swing. But, all the spotlight is on Smith after he admitted that he was part of the ploy and refused to step down as captain.

Cricket Australia will not rule on Steve Smith's future as captain until it completes a probe into stunning ball-tampering revelations that have plunged the test team in crisis, CEO James Sutherland said on Sunday.

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke said on Sunday, "It's premeditated cheating. It's blatant cheating, it's disgraceful, it's not accepted by anyone, and particularly in Australia, we have the best bowling attack in the world... wouldn't need to cheat to beat anybody." 

"Cameron Bancroft, it's his eighth Test match, I can't believe the leadership group has made a decision to do this. They've gone and got the young kid who's played his eighth Test match to do that,” Clarke added.

Clarke however denied to comment on whether Steven Smith should be stripped off from captaincy. "I don't think it is fair for me to answer that question right now. I'm too emotional, I'm just going on footage that I've seen," he said.

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The 36-year-old admitted that Australian Cricket Board has been reluctant to grant full power to the captain in recent years and continued that the hierarchical problems should not turn into sufferance for young players on field.

Opener Bancroft admitted to using yellow tape and field dirt on ball to help bowlers reverse swing the ball in the second session of the third day as South Africa's Aiden Markram and AB de Villiers extended Proteas lead to 294 at stumps on day two.

The shocking incident occurred in the 43rd over when the 25-year-old Aussie was caught on camera while putting the yellow tape down inside his pants. Umpires later inquired about what was inside the fielder’s pocket.

A Level 2 offence under the ICC’s Code of Conduct, with possible fine of match fees around 50 to 100 per cent can be sanctioned. Three or four demerit points can be added on his books, four demerit points would trigger an automatic one-match test ban.