BCCI bars Smith, Warner from this year’s IPL

NEW DELHI: The BCCI on Wednesday barred Steve Smith and David Warner from taking part in this year’s IPL after Cricket Australia banned the disgraced duo for their role in ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

Smith and Warner were supposed to captain their respective franchises Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in this edition but had stepped down in the wake of the scandal and CA’s sanction paved the way for BCCI to ban the duo.

“They (Cricket Australia) have banned two players and we are also barring these two players from this year’s IPL,” IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla told reporters on Wednesday.

“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. -PTI