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Arthur gives backing to banned Aussie trio

Apr 26th, 2018
Arthur gives backing to banned Aussie trio
Apr 26th, 2018

Former Australia cricket coach Mickey Arthur believes "it would be good" for shamed trio Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft to be given the chance to play county cricket this summer.

Smith and Warner are serving one-year bans, with Bancroft out for nine months, for their part in the ball-tampering scandal in Australia's series in South Africa last month.

Bancroft was due to be Somerset's overseas player this season but his deal was terminated in the fall-out of the furore which saw him use sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball in Cape Town.

But Arthur, who coached Australia between 2010 and 2013, hopes they will be given a chance to resume their career in the English domestic game.

"In a way I feel sorry for them," the current coach of Pakistan said. "I can understand they were really stupid, they have paid a massive price.

"Steve will be absolutely gutted, Bancroft is a new guy on the block and that will be really hard to swallow and Davey too... for them to be missing the amount of cricket they are missing will be tough on them.

"So if the ECB allowed it, it would be good for them to carry on playing because they have paid a big price already."

Although he left his position soon after, then-coach Darren Lehmann was cleared of knowing anything about the plot to tamper with the ball, a fact which raised many eyebrows.

Asked by Press Association Sport whether it was unusual for a coach to be unaware of such things going on in the dressing room, he replied: "I'm not sure, I couldn't tell you what happened. I am not 100 per cent sure of the plan so I can't comment."

On the scandal he added: "It was a shock to me. I was really disappointed when I saw it go down.

"Australia always play their cricket really hard, they play it tough and they push the line. I just want to know where the line is and what it is."


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