Smith, Warner set to miss India series

Cricket Australia is all set to announce the sanctions by early morning (IST) on Wednesday and there is a possibility that both Smith and Warner could be out of international cricket for a considerable period of time.

If it's a one-year ban, which looks likely, the home series against India in (December-January) will be played without the two superstars. Already young opener Matt Renshaw has flown to Johannesburg, indicating that Warner will also not be a part of the final Test match against South Africa.

Another bone of contention is their Indian Premier League contracts with Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderbad. There is every possibility that Smith may seek time out of cricket to sort out the mess he is currently in but the same can't be said about Warner, who is one of the greatest T20 exponents of all time.

While the BCCI is awaiting sanctions from Cricket Australia, the key to the decision will be the contents of the No Objection Certificates (NOC) issued by their home board.

"What a lot of media channels are not understanding is that BCCI at this point has no right to terminate their contract. In case Cricket Australia has a clause in their contracts that gives them right to cancel the duo's NOC for private leagues based on disrepute caused during international matches, then BCCI won't even come into question.

"They won't get a chance to play IPL," a senior BCCI official, who deals with contract aspect said on Tuesday.

"If CA's ban is exclusive of NoC given to them for IPL, they will be available for the league," said the official.

However, reports emerging from Australian media primarily implicated Warner in the scandal.

According to Sydney Morning Herald: "David Warner's international career is said to have become "untenable" with fears the one-time vice-captain has gone rogue as the fallout from the ball tampering crisis escalated on Tuesday. Teammates are furious with Warner over suspicions the batsman was the source behind a story incriminating Australia's fast bowlers."

The newspaper claimed that Warner may have played his last game for the country.

It was learnt that the temperamental Warner removed himself from the team WhatsApp group.

Australia's Fairfax Media claimed: "Warner had emerged as the central character in the affair, with suggestions he was the primary figure behind the ill-fated decision for Cameron Bancroft to use a piece of yellow tape to try and alter the condition of the ball during the third Test."

It has been learnt that senior fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood along with veteran spinner Nathan Lyon have all distanced themselves from skipper Smith for his comments that the ball tampering plan, on the third day of the third Test in Cape Town, was hatched by the leadership group.

Cricket Australia (CA) boss James Sutherland, under mounting pressure to come down hard on what Australian media has dubbed a "rotten" team culture, was due in Johannesburg Tuesday where he will meet up with the body's head of integrity, Iain Roy.

They are expected to update a shocked Australian public on Wednesday morning, with reports saying they could throw the book at Smith and his vice-captain David Warner by banning both for 12 months and sending them home in disgrace.

Smith has already been suspended for one Test and docked his entire match fee by the International Cricket Council for his role in a plot that saw teammate Cameron Bancroft tamper with the ball during the third Test against South Africa.