Step back and give them space: Tendulkar on disgraced Australian trio

The legendary Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday urged the extended cricket fraternity to take a "step back and give some space" to the disgraced Australian trio of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft as they apologised for their involvement in ball tampering.

"They are regretting and hurting and will have to live with the consequences of their act. Spare a thought for their families as they have much to endure along with the players. Time for all of us to take a step back and give them some space," Tendulkar wrote on his twitter handle.

This is what he tweeted: 
 

 Cricket Australia have banned former skipper Smith and vice-captain David Warner from all international and domestic cricket for a year while Bancroft was exiled for nine months for their pre-meditated plan to tamper the ball by using sandpaper in the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town.

Disgraced Australian Cricket Vice Captain David Warner, second right, arrives with his wife Candice, second left, and their children at Sydney Airport | Photo: AP/PTI

As the ball tampering scandal continued to take its toll on Australian cricket, coach Darren Lehmann said he would quit from the post of the scandal-tainted team after the fourth and final Test of the ongoing series in South Africa.

This was soon after Smith fought back tears as he claimed full responsibility for the conspiracy that destroyed his reputation, while Warner and Bancroft also offered their apologies for the scandal that plunged Australian cricket into turmoil.

Tendulkar had on Wednesday tweeted, "Cricket has been known as a gentleman's game. It's a game that I believe should be played in the purest form. Whatever has happened is unfortunate but the right decision has been taken to uphold the integrity of the game. Winning is important but the way you win is more important.