Eoin Morgan says cricket's reputation has been battered by the ball-tampering scandal
Saturday 7 April 2018 11:32, UK
England one-day captain Eoin Morgan believes cricket's reputation has been battered by the ball-tampering scandal but says public anger will be eased by Australia's strong response.
Australia's Steve Smith, Cameron Bancroft and David Warner have confirmed they will not be appealing their bans from cricket.
Former Australia captain Smith and ex-vice-captain David Warner were suspended for 12 months by Cricket Australia, while Bancroft received a nine-month ban, for their roles in using sandpaper on the ball during the third Test against South Africa.
On Tuesday, the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) called on Cricket Australia (CA) to reconsider the sanctions imposed on the players, saying they did not follow precedent for the type of offence.
"In the last two weeks cricket has been battered and not for the right reasons," said Morgan, whose return to action with Middlesex has been delayed by four weeks because of a fractured thumb suffered during pre-season training.
Asked if ball tampering could put future generations off the sport, he added: "I'd like to think the balance changed when the sanctions were imposed. Cricket Australia have shown how serious the actual mistake was and how seriously they regard the values, principles, spirit and laws of the game.
"You can see it and say it's wrong but to then back it up with such a sanction says a huge amount. This isn't two of their worst players either, it's two of their best - one [Smith] is possibly one of their greatest ever."
