IPl chairman Rajeev Shukla on Sunday said Rajasthan Royals will wait and see what sanctions the ICC imposes on Steve Smith before taking a call on his future as the franchise's captain, following a ball tampering scandal that prompted, among others, even Australia's Prime Minister to react. Smith and his deputy David Warner were made to step down from their respective posts after the skipper admitted to have orchestrated ball tampering on the third day of the third Test against South Africa.
On ball tampering issue, IPl will wait for the decision of ICC and will act accordingly
Smith confessed to being complicit in tampering in an explosive post-match press conference that he fronted alongside his embattled opener Cameron Bancroft.
"The BCCI and Rajasthan Royals will like to wait for the ICC to announce the official sanction against Steve Smith. As of now, no decision will be taken either by the board or the franchise," Shukla said.
The administrator added, "We will only take a call depending on the magnitude of sanction. Smith is an important player for Royals and their skipper. It's only fair that they wait."
When asked about Cricket Australia's decision to sack both Smith and Warner, Shukla said: "That's an internal issue of Cricket Australia. The BCCI or IPl Governing Council have got nothing to do with it. Our only concern is ICC."
Another senior BCCI official, privy to the development, gave a practical view.
"Rajasthan is coming back this year. They need Smith both as a brand and a player," the senior office bearer said.