Kaif, Gambhir and others show support for 'shamed' Smith on Twitter

Cricket Australia sacked captain Steven Smith and vice-captain David Warner (both great performers) - also banning the pair for a year due to the recent ball tampering controversy during the test match against South Africa in Cape Town. Coach Darren Lehmann also decided to quit after final Test vs South Africa. Lehmann says it's the right thing to do for Australian cricket to move forward.

Steven Smith was in tears as he accepted full responsibility for the ball-tampering scandal that has shaken the sport, saying he was devastated by his, "big mistake." "I take full responsibility, I made a serious error of judgment and I understand the consequences. It was a failure of leadership," he said before breaking down at a press conference after his arrival in Sydney from Johannesburg

Many cricketers current and former took to Twitter to share their views on the disgraced Steve Smith, Cameron Bancroft and David Warner.

Michael Vaughan
@MichaelVaughan:
'Good people make mistakes' .. I honestly think Steve Smith & Cam Bancroft are decent guys who had a moment of madness .. they deserve a 2nd chance and hopefully get the right support around them now .. Takes a lot guts to do what they did today ..

Michael Clarke
@MClarke23:
DEVASTATING!

Aakash Chopra
@cricketaakash:
You gave us a lot of joy with the bat, Steve....it's unfortunate and devastating to see this. Hope you bounce back stronger. #SandpaperGate #SteveSmith

Mohammad Kaif
@MohammadKaif:
Feel the pain he is going through. Waiting for him to come back soon and cause delight to fans across the world with his supreme batsmanship. Remember Warne served a 1-year ban for a banned substance and came back with 26 wkts in 3 tests against SL.

Kevin Pietersen
@KP24:
Just seen @stevesmith49's press conference. As a parent, I'm gutted for him & his family! Shout me down if you want, but I'm speaking as a parent! It will get better mate!

Matt Prior
@MattPrior13:
Fair play Bancroft and Steve Smith taking it head on and fronting up. That was hard to watch and can't imagine what they're going through.People make mistakes but being able to own up and take responsibility takes guts.

Gautam Gambhir
@GautamGambhir:
Feel sorry for @stevesmith49 dad (in pic) other family members. Hope media n Aussie public go easy on them as families can be soft targets. More than d ban living wid this feeling of being called a cheat is a bigger punishment. #BallTamperingRow

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever