Saturday 7 April 2018 12:07, UK
David Warner has confirmed he will not appeal against the sanctions imposed on him by Cricket Australia for his role in the ball-tampering scandal against South Africa.
Warner and former Australia captain Steve Smith were both suspended for 12 months for their role in using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball during the third Test in Cape Town.
Cameron Bancroft, who was caught on camera attempting to use the sandpaper before hiding it down his trousers, was handed a nine-month ban.
The trio had until Thursday to appeal against the sanctions handed to them, although on Wednesday Smith and Bancroft confirmed they would accept the punishment, with Warner following suit on the morning of the deadline.
"I have today let Cricket Australia know that I fully accept the sanctions imposed on me," Warner wrote on Twitter.
"I am truly sorry for my actions and will now do everything I can to be a better person, teammate and role model."
Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive James Sutherland has backed the trio to regain the trust of Australian supporters once they have returned from their respective suspensions.
"The events of Cape Town have severely affected the game. It has also been humbling to be reminded of the passion all Australians have for our great game," he said.
"These are significant penalties for professional cricketers. They were not imposed lightly.
"We know the players will return to playing the game they love, and in doing so, we hope they rebuild their careers and regain the trust of fans."
The Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) has called on CA to reconsider the sanctions imposed on the players, saying they did not follow precedent for the type of offence, while former Australia spin bowler Shane Warne also believes they are excessive.
"To hear that the Australian cricket team had been involved in pre-mediated cheating is something that is embarrassing. There is no way you can condone it," he said on his official Facebook page.
"We are all so hurt and angry and maybe we weren't so sure how to react. We'd just never seen it before.
"But the jump to hysteria is something that has elevated the offence beyond what they actually did, and maybe we're at a point where the punishment just might not fit the crime."
Smith and Warner have lost their lucrative IPL contracts in the wake of the scandal and Sky Sports News understands it's extremely unlikely either player, or Cameron Bancroft, will be allowed to play county cricket in England while they serve their Cricket Australia suspension.
Although the ECB still has not formally adopted the ball-tampering bans given by Cricket Australia, regulations allow the Board to mirror punishments imposed by other Test-playing nations.
The ECB has not yet received any formal application from any county to sign the three players - who have now accepted their punishments.
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