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via Imago

Following the Australia versus South Africa Test match fracasse that resulted in Steve Smith and David Warner being banned, the cricket community was stunned. Now, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has put forward stricter measures for any breach in cricketing conduct. The ICC convened in Kolkata for a week-long discussion where they came out with the decision on offences pertaining to cricketing conduct breach.

Australian skipper Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner, along with Cameron Bancroft were guilty of ball-tampering. They came clean on their activities but were punished for the serious offence. Warner and Smith have been handed year-long bans from all forms of international cricket. Bancroft has a 9-month suspension.

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The ICC Code of Conduct review was thoroughly discussed at the ICC meet week in Kolkata. The ICC Board and Member Chief Executives united to address player behaviour.

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They unanimously opted for stricter and heavier sanctions for ball tampering and other offences. These offences include abusive language, send-offs and dissent to an umpire’s decision. The ICC has always stressed on creating a culture of respect that reinforces the spirit of cricket on and off the field of play. The ICC has made it perfectly clear thatthey will not tolerate any cricketing conduct breach in the future

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ICC CEO David Richardson said, “The Code of Conduct review is a crucial piece of work and my fellow Board directors and I are committed to seeing an improvement in player behaviour and ensuring a culture of respect across our sport. We will consider tougher sanctions as we work to create a culture of respect.”

He added, “The message from everyone gathered in Kolkata was loud and clear – we must act to create a culture of respect that protects the integrity of the sport. We all have a responsibility to the game and its fans and the strength of feeling around the board table today means we have a unique opportunity to improve the behaviour and culture across cricket. We are currently in the process of confirming the individuals to support us on this review and they will meet alongside the Cricket Committee in May and make recommendations to the Board in June.”