New Delhi: The legendary Sachin Tendulkar backed Cricket Australia’s decision to ban Steve Smith and David Warner for a year, terming it as the right decision after the infamous ball tampering saga in Cape Town few days ago.
The young 25-year-old Cameron Bancroft was also handed a nine-month suspension and both Smith and Warner were also banned from competing in this year’s IPL.
Taking to Twitter, Tendulkar wrote, “Cricket has been known as a gentleman’s game. It’s a game that I believe should be played in the purest form. Whatever has happened is unfortunate but the right decision has been taken to uphold the integrity of the game. Winning is important but the way you win is more important.”
But Australian spin legend and Tendulkar’s on-field adversary Shane Warne felt that the one-year ban was too harsh.
Wrote Warne in his column, “Let’s take the emotion out of it. We are all feeling angry and embarrassed. But you need a level head and you shouldn’t destroy someone unless they deserve to be destroyed. Their actions were indefendable, and they need to be severely punished. But I don’t think a one-year ban is the answer.”
Tendulkar too was accused of ball tampering way back in 2001 during the series against South Africa by match referee Mike Denness who felt that the right-hander was trying to alter the seam of the ball during the second Test match in Port Elizabeth.
In his defence, Tendulkar insisted that he was trying to clean the ball as dust had accumulated on the seam. He also received the backing of the BCCI led by the then president Jagmohan Dalmiya and India had even threatened to call off the series. The third Test was eventually declared, “unofficial” as Denness was sent back home.