Tears and sympathy: support grows for Smith over cricket ban

A wave of sympathy for disgraced Australia skipper Steve Smith gathered pace today after his heart-wrenching apology and as opposition grew to the severity of bans handed out in a ball-tampering scandal.

Smith's tearful appearance in front of media helped trigger the resignation of coach Darren Lehmann and also prompted calls to rein in criticism which has verged on hysterical during an extraordinary week for Australian cricket.

Both Smith and vice-captain David Warner were banned for 12 months and Cameron Bancroft for nine months for ball-tampering during the third Test in Cape Town.

Lehmann -- who had earlier warned about the players' mental state -- said he was convinced him to step down by the emotional apologies of Bancroft and Smith, which also drew messages of support.

"Dear Australia, that's enough now," ran a headline in British newspaper The Times. "This was ball-tampering, not murder."
"But the jump to hysteria is something that has elevated the offence beyond what they actually did, and maybe we're at a point where the punishment just might not fit the crime."
- 'Glaring anomalies' -
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