Cricket Australia to conduct investigation into ball-tampering scandal

Cricket Australia said Sunday it will conduct an investigation into a ball-tampering scandal during the third and penultimate Test match against South Africa that has prompted calls for captain Steve Smith to step down.

---

Also read: Smith, Bancroft admit ball-tampering

---

"From a CA perspective we regard this as an extremely serious issue," CA chief executive James Sutherland told a news conference in Melbourne.

UPDATE: Read @ARamseyCricket's round-up of the intense James Sutherland press conference as CA launches probe: https://t.co/PoOaIdGmHn pic.twitter.com/rlbl2rgWhw

— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) March 25, 2018

"Activities on the field in Cape Town were neither in the spirit or the laws of the game. For us that's extremely disappointing." Smith has admitted that the team's "leadership group" orchestrated a plan to use sticky tape to pick up hard granules from the pitch and rub these against the ball to try to alter its condition and get it to swing.

CA boss James Sutherland responds to ball tampering bombshell: https://t.co/PoOaIdXY5X #SAvAUS pic.twitter.com/FwFz7iE71p

— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) March 25, 2018

Opening batsman Cameron Bancroft, 25, the most junior member in the side, was the player tasked with implementing the plan and he has been charged by the International Cricket Council. "Smith is currently the captain of the Australian team," said Sutherland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yChk9LEclw&t=1s "We are working through a process and once we have a clearer picture of the facts and understand things once (CA head of integrity) Iain (Roy) submits his report we will be in a better position to make further comment."Video: Youtube