Published: Nov 11, 2018, 02:56 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 11, 2018, 02:56 PM (IST)
The chorus to lift the bans imposed on Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft by the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) grew louder after the release of the Longstaff cultural review revealed that some of the blame was due to pressure from Cricket Australia.
Smith and Warner are into their eighth month of their one year bans handed over to them for their involvement in the ball-tampering scandal during the Cape Town Test in March this year, while Bancroft will be eligible to play after December – when his nine-month ban ends.
However, Australia great Neil Harvey, 90, believes that if the trio are brought back before their stipulated bans ends, then Australian cricket will take a beating.
“Australia have lost to many teams in their presence. If they decide to bring them back, Australia’s reputation in world cricket will take a beating, so I won’t support the move. Australia have the bowlers, let them win it for the team,” Harvey, who was part of Don Bradman’s 1948 Invincibles team (the team were given the name after they did not lose a single match on their England tour that year), told MID-DAY on Sunday.
Quizzed further if Bradman would give the green signal to introduce Smith, Warner and Bancroft into the side before their ban ends, Hervey added: “I don’t know… but he was a very strict disciplinarian. I suppose he would not have liked the ban to be reduced.”
Meanwhile, Harvey said that he’s eagerly awaiting to see how a rattled Australia fair in the marquee Test series against India which begins with the first Test on December 6. “If I don’t come, I will surely watch the match on TV,” he said.
