XtraTime Web Desk: BCCI acting secretary, Amitabh Choudhary and Indian Premier League commissioner Rajiv Shukla today confirmed that Australian duo of Steven Smith and David Warner won’t play the IPL 2018 after Cricket Australia banned both of them for 12 months for the ball tampering scandal at the Newlands during the third Test between South Africa and Australia.
Both the players were the captains of their respective franchises Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad for this season, but they stepped down from their roles after this incident happened a few days back and now they are out of their teams as well for this season. The two players were bought by their franchises for 12.5 crore rupees respectively.
“They (Cricket Australia) have banned two players and we are also barring these two players from this year’s IPL,” IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla told reporters.
“We wanted everything in our own hands. First, we waited for ICC’s decision, after that Cricket Australia and then we decided on the matter.
“We have decided to bar them from this season. The replacements will be made available to the two teams. We did not take any decision in haste, it was a well thought out decision,” he added.
Smith and Warner, along with Cameron Bancroft, were ordered to return home midway into the series on Tuesday.