‘Give them a second chance’: Coach says Smith, Warner not all bad

Australian cricket coach Darren Lehmann says the public should be wary of coming down too hard on disgraced players Steve Smith and David Warner and that they’re “not bad people”.

Cricket Australia announced on Wednesday night that Smith and Warner will be banned from the sport for 12 months, while bowler Cameron Bancroft will serve a nine-month ban.

Speaking at the team’s hotel in Johannesburg on Lehmann said he “embarrassed” and “disappointed” and “hurt for the game” and would work to make changes on his team.

He argued the three players “made a grave mistake but they are not bad people.”

“These are young men and I hope people will give them a second chance,” he said.

On Smith, who was also sacked as captain, Lehmann said “the public love him” and “we’ve lost a great young man who made a mistake.”

While Lehmann believes the public still loves Smith, anger among the cricketing community and Australian fans would say otherwise. Cricket Australia’s report into the incident revealed Warner was the mastermind behind the ball tampering idea, but Smith was fully aware of the plan and didn’t hesitate to let Bancroft go ahead.

Despite the public’s anger, and senior officials and commentators airing their shock when the news first broke, cricket’s elite have started to taper their criticism over fears for the three men’s mental health.

Legendary bowler Shane Warne said the “jump to hysteria” means the “punishment just might not fit the crime”.

“There are those countries that don’t like Australia, don’t like individuals in the team, and there has been a build up of hate which has exploded and created this tornado of hysteria,” he wrote in a column for The Daily Telegraph.

“But what are the players guilty of? Cheating via ball tampering and bringing the game into disrepute. Their opposing captain in this series, South Africa’s Faf du Plessis, has been charged with ball-tampering twice, and opening bowler Vernon Philander once. The list of players who have been charged with ball tampering is long and contains some of the biggest names in the game, like Sachin Tendulkar and Mike Atherton.”

The three players were sent home from South Africa on Tuesday, and were met by boos and jeering crowds as they made their way through the airport.

Wicketkeeper Tim Paine has been appointed as caretaker captain of the team, while Matthew Renshaw, Glen Maxwell and Joe Burns will replace the players for the remainder of the third test against South Africa.

Do you think Smith and Warner will ever be forgiven for what they did? Should ball tampering come with harsher punishments?