Australian Cricketers' Association to meet Cricket Australia over Emily Smith's anti-corruption ban

Melbourne: The Australian Cricketers’ Association is seeking a meeting with Cricket Australia regarding the anti-corruption ban given to Emily Smith as pressure grows on the governing body to lighten the Tasmania wicket-keeper’s sanction.

Hobart Hurricane's wicket-keeper Emily Smith. Image courtesy: Twitter @cricketcomau

Last week, Hobart Hurricanes’ Smith was banned for a year, with nine months suspended, for posting the Women’s Big Bash League team’s line-up on Instagram about an hour before its scheduled release.

The 24-year-old accepted the sanction, which rules her out of the remainder of the Women’s T20 Big Bash League and the national cricket league, but said the posting was intended to be a joke about her lowly position in the batting order.

A number of former players and pundits have condemned the sanction as harsh, and the players’ union held an extraordinary board meeting on Tuesday to discuss the case.

“The ACA Board has resolved to seek a meeting with Cricket Australia Board as soon as practicable to discuss and better understand both the sanction and the process,” an ACA spokesman said.

Smith posted the Hurricanes’ team line-up for their 2 November match in the WBBL against Sydney Thunder at Burnie in Tasmania state.