CA hands Emily Smith nine-month suspension for anti-corruption code breach
Getty
Australia wicket-keeper Emily Smith has been handed a year-long ban from cricket by CA for breaching the anti-corruption code after she posted the Hobart Hurricanes line up about an hour before the match on Instagram. Smith accepted the sanction which completely suspends her for nine months.
After the infamous sandpaper gate fiasco in Newlands, Cricket Australia has passed stringent rules on the code of conduct of players. While it held good for over a year, as Australia received only one demerit point in the span of one year of the fiasco, it seems to be falling apart now. Many incidents of misconduct are coming into light in the domestic fixtures Down Under which even includes top-flight players like Steven Smith and James Pattinson.
Womenās cricketer Emily Smith is the latest inclusion to the list as she was handed a year-long ban by the CA for breaching the anti-corruption code. The sanction, which completely suspends her for nine months, was imposed as she posted the Hobart Hurricanes line up on Instagram around an hour before the encounter against Sydney Thunder in the WBBL on November 2.
Smith accepted the charges which entitled her of breaching Article 2.3.2 which prohibits: "Disclosing Inside Information to any person (with or without Reward) where the Participant knew or might reasonably have known that such disclosure might lead to the information being used in relation to Betting in relation to any Match or Event."
Sean Carroll, Cricket Australia's Head of Integrity and Security, shared that CA acknowledges the fact that she might not have had the intent to breach the code but that doesn't save her from the consequences.
"Whilst Cricket Australia acknowledges that at the time of posting the team line-up there was no intent to breach the Anti-Corruption Code, CA's rigorous anti-corruption player education program means that players are well aware of their obligations under the Anti-Corruption Code and there is no excuse for breaches regardless of the reasons for information being disclosed," Cricbuzz quoted Carroll.
"Since the commencement of the WBBL, Cricket Australia has had in place a robust anti-corruption program. We have been working with Emily throughout the process and Emily now understands the mistake she made. Unfortunately, in this instance, Emily's actions breached the Anti-Corruption Code. We hope this serves as a reminder to all that the Anti-Corruption Code is critical to protecting the integrity of the game."
Emily not only misses out the remainder of the WBBL but the sanction also rules her out of the WNCL.
