Australia's sporting world is in a tailspin after its national cricket team captain Steve Smith admitted to pre-meditated cheating during a match against South Africa yesterday.
Smith confessed that he and a few other members of the national team's "leadership group" had authorised the illegal practice of ball tampering during the test – delegating the deed to youngster Cameron Bancroft.
Bancroft was caught by television cameras using a piece of yellow tape to pick up grit from the ground before rubbing the ball with it, in an attempt to change its flight during bowling.
Australian cricketing great and former national team vice-captain Adam Gilchrist said he was "shocked and stunned" by the incident.
"Shocked, stunned... really emotional and embarrassed... I"m not sure he (Smith) can remain captain." Former Australian vice-captain @gilly381 has his say on the #CricketAustralia match fixing scandal. https://t.co/xs4rt0Pv12
"Australian cricket is the laughing stock of the world and world sport," he said. "This clearly is against the laws of the game and we've just had our national captain and our national team say – admit – that they sat down and planned a way to cheat.
"We're all going to learn more about it in the next 24-48 hours ... but look, I'm not sure he can remain captain. But that implicates the senior playing group."
Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland said it was a "very sad day for Australian cricket," but stopped short of calling for the captain Steve Smith to stand down.
"We have a responsibility to take this further," he said in a press conference.
"We will over the next couple of days get a deep understanding of what happened and why."
Both past players and the Australian public were outraged by the blatant example of cheating from the Australian team.
Very disappointed with the pictures I saw on our coverage here in Cape Town. If proven the alleged ball tampering is what we all think it is - then I hope Steve Smith (Captain) & Darren Lehmann (Coach) do the press conference to clean this mess up !
@vanOnselenP Sack the team Sack the coach Sack Cricket Australia's executive team Go to the states and re-build the team from the bottom up.
This is a case study in how to handle a crisis absolutely appallingly. Total train wreck. #CricketAustralia
At a minimum, Steve Smith should immediately be made to pick up 50 pieces of rubbish at recess.
No process needed James, he's admitted to premeditated cheating. Stand him down immediately. Hopeless....
Weak as piss.
Officials will arrive in South Africa on Monday to begin an investigation into the matter.
On Sunday evening, Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland announced that Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner had agreed to stand down for the remainder of the test match. Tim Paine takes over captaincy duties.
BREAKING: Steve Smith and David Warner have stood down as captain and vice-captain for the remainder of the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town #SAvAUS