Melbourne [Australia]: With Steve Smith banned from the Johannesburg Test, Australia have recalled Queensland opener Matt Renshaw in the national squad for the fourth and final Test in South Africa, starting in Johannesburg on March 30.
The Cricket Australia’s decision to call-up Renshaw came after Smith was handed a one-match suspension following his role in the ball-tampering scandal to overshadow his side’s 322-run defeat in the Cape Town Test, thus handing a 2-1 lead to South Africa in the series.
Renshaw, who will fly to Johannesburg this evening to join the under-siege tourists ahead of Friday’s final Test, has appeared in a total of 10 Tests for Australia with the highest score of 184 runs.
Meanwhile, Australia are also expected to call up some more players once Cricket Australia (CA) would finalise their inquiry into the scandal that rocked the cricketing world.
Following the unraveling of a massive ball-tampering scandal, Steve Smith and David Warner agreed to step down as captain and vice-captain, respectively, for the remainder of the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town.
Earlier, Smith and Australia opener Cameron Bancroft admitted to charges of ball tampering after the end of the Day Three of the third Test against South Africa.
Following the fiasco, Smith and David Warner stood down as captain and vice-captain respectively. Smith also stood down as the captain of his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals.
Smith was handed a one-match suspension and fined 100 percent of his match fee for his leadership role in ball-tampering.
Additionally, Bancroft has been fined 75 percent of his match fee and handed three demerit points for breaching Level 2 of the ICC Code of Conduct.
The incident took place during South Africa’s innings on Saturday afternoon when Bancroft was seen on television holding a small yellow object while rubbing the rough side of the ball, before hiding the object in his pocket, then inside his trousers. (ANI)