Australian women cricketer Emily Smith banned for one year over Instagram post

Hobart Hurricanes wicketkeeper-batsman Emily Smith has been slapped with a ban of 12 months--nine months of it being fully suspended--for breaching Cricket Australia's Code of Conduct by posting team news on social media. 

The 24-year-old has been banned, in effect for three months, for putting the Playing XI of Hurricanes on her official Instagram account before the team was realeased for the clash against the Sydney Thunder on November 2 in Burnie.

 Smith was found guilty of breaching Article 2.3.2 of Cricket Australia's anti-corruption code, which relates to, "Disclosing Inside Information to any person (with or without Reward) where the Participant knew or might reasonably have known that such disclosure might lead to the information being used in relation to Betting in relation to any Match or Event."

Reflecting on the same, Cricket Australia's head of integrity and security, Sean Carroll said that though Smith had no intent to breach the Anti-Corruption Code at the time of posting the line-up, there is no ecuse for breaches.

"Whilst Cricket Australia acknowledges that at the time of posting the team line-up there was no intent to breach the Anti-Corruption Code, CA's rigorous anti-corruption player education program means that players are well aware of their obligations under the Anti-Corruption Code and there is no excuse for breaches regardless of the reasons for information being disclosed," he said. 

The sanction means Australian women's cricket team player Smith, who has featured in all the eight matches of Hurricanes this season, is all set to miss rest of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) as well as the Women's National Cricket League, which will resume in January 2020.