After Australian skipper Steven Smith and batsman Cameron Bancroft accepted the charges of ball-tampering during the third day of the third Test match at Newlands Cape Town against South Africa, the entire cricket world is in shock. Cricket fraternity as well lovers of ‘game of fame’ expressed shock and disappointment.

Former Australia skipper Michael Clarke said, “WHAT THE …….. HAVE I JUST WOKEN UP TO. Please tell me this is a bad dream”.

WHAT THE …….. HAVE I JUST WOKEN UP TO. Please tell me this is a bad dream.

— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) March 24, 2018

Your Aussie Captain & the “leadership group” whoever they are, are all cheats.

— Taintless Red (@TaintlessRed) March 24, 2018

Disgraceful Australian’s. They should receive severe punishment. The ICC need to take immediate action against all those implicated. There is no way that this is the first time that it was done.

No respect for cheaters.

— Zeyn Bhyat (@wiseguyben) March 24, 2018

I’m an Aussie and I have no respect for any of them. This is a sad day for Aussie cricket and they should be ashamed. They are always talking about other countries cheating. Hypocrite. Maybe I’ll start supporting India or Pakistan, or maybe the Kiwi’s.

— Jules (@ozijules) March 24, 2018

Past England captain Michael Vaughan also said Steve Smith’s squad and said that the entire team will be known as those who tried to cheat.

“Steve Smith, his Team & ALL the management will have to accept that whatever happens in their careers they will all be known for trying to CHEAT the game … #SAvAUS,” wrote Vaughan on micro-blogging site.

“The more you think about what has happened in Cape Town the more I realise the Leadership needs to be replaced … Positions are untenable … & I say that with the utmost respect for most of that group … #SAvAUS,” Vaughan wrote in another Tweet.

Veteran Australian pace bowler Mitchell Johnson too was disappointed with the incident.

“Shocked & disappointed #SAvsAUS,” Johnson wrote on Twitter.

Wicketkeeper-batsman of England Matt Prior says that there is no way that the coach or the rest of Australian team were not aware of Bancroft’s doing.

“There is no way on earth the coach, captain (and most probably the rest of the team) weren?t aware of what Bancroft would be doing! #SandpaperGate,” Prior wrote on Twitter.

Steve Smith,his Team & ALL the management will have to accept that whatever happens in their careers they will all be known for trying to CHEAT the game … #SAvAUS

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 24, 2018

The more you think about what has happened in Cape Town the more I realise the Leadership needs to be replaced … Positions are untenable … & I say that with the utmost respect for most of that group … #SAvAUS

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 24, 2018

Shocked & disappointed #SAvsAUS

— Mitchell Johnson (@MitchJohnson398) March 24, 2018

My 2cents worth – This will be Darren Lehmann’s greatest test as a coach, cos I will struggle to believe that this was all Bancroft’s idea. #SandpaperGate.

— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) March 24, 2018

There is no way on earth the coach, captain (and most probably the rest of the team) weren’t aware of what Bancroft would be doing! #SandpaperGate

— Matt Prior (@MattPrior13) March 24, 2018

Earlier, Australian skipper Steven Smith and opener David Warner stand down as Australia’s captain and vice-captain, respectively, for the remainder of the third Test match of the four-match Test series.

However, the Australian duo will continue to take the field in Cape Town, under the captaincy of Tim Paine.

On Sunday morning, in a major shock to the cricketing world, Australian captain Steve Smith admitted that he was the chief plotter in the ball-tampering scandal that has plunged the game into crisis and sparked a Cricket Australia probe.

The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) has called for Steve Smith and other members of the Australian cricket team, who were part of the plan of tampering with the ball, to step down.