Disturbed after watching Cricket Australia suspending former Australian skipper Steve Smith for 12 months for his involvement in the ball-tampering scandal, his father Peter Smith dumped his son's cricket kit bag in the garage, adding that the batsman will be fine with time.
"He'll be fine, he'll survive, he'll survive," Peter told Australia's Seven News as he placed the bag in storage.
On Thursday, Smith broke down while speaking to the media in Sydney after returning home midway from ongoing Australia's tour of South Africa. Smith and former vice-captain David Warner were banned for 12 months by Cricket Australia for masterminding the ball-tampering scandal, while young Cameron Bancroft was given a nine-month ban.
Devastated for his on-field actions and his involvement in the controversial ball-tampering saga, Smith said: "I am sorry. Want to make it clear that as captain of the Australia Cricket team I take full responsibility. I made a serious error of judgment and I now understand the consequences."
After a detailed investigation into the Australian cricket team's cheating scandal identified Warner as the instigator of the ball tampering plan that unravelled in South Africa during the third Test in Cape Town. Cricket Australia said Warner "instructed" young batsman Cameron Bancroft to carry out the tampering on the field with a piece of sandpaper - even showed Bancroft how to do it - then misled match officials and tried to cover up his role in the cheating.
(With AP inputs)
