If reports in the English media are to be believed Steve Smith could be stripped of the Australian captaincy permanently. Reports suggest that both Smith and Warner are facing one-year bans with coach Darren Lehmann set to resign with immediate effect as cricket chiefs hold crisis talks in South Africa to deal with an escalating cheating scandal. Smith has already been suspended for one Test and docked his entire match fee by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for his role in a plot that saw teammate Cameron Bancroft tamper with the ball during the third Test against South Africa in Newlands, Cape Town on Saturday.
According to the Guardian, Lehmann, who was said by Smith to have no knowledge of the plan, will resign on Tuesday.
Lehmann took over the coaching reins in 2013 when predecessor Mickey Arthur was sacked, with Justin Langer considered a frontrunner as his replacement although Ricky Ponting will also be in the mix.
“We understand the strong interest everyone has in this situation and we are following due process to properly address all of the relevant issues involved.”
