Quite the dramatic set of circumstances.

When it comes to cricket, Australia has been the most successful nation in recent times. A hattrick of World Cups between 1999 - 2007, followed by another one in 2015, Australian cricket has set an example of a system which keeps out churning top-class talent, keeps winning. But this time around, Australian took the 'win at all costs' mentality a tad bit too far as they were caught red-handed tampering the ball to gain an advantage.

According to recent reports, the saga has been escalated to such astronomical heights that the Australian captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner have been banned. Let's take a look back at how the saga unfolded and how it reached this point.

ESPN has reported that the pair has been banned by Cricket Australia for 12 months and Cameron Bancroft for nine months following ball tampering revelations. Moreover, David Warner has stepped down as the captain of IPL team Sunrisers Hyderabad.

On day 3 of the test against South Africa, Australia devised a cunning plan to derail the African innings which scored 100+ runs with the loss of just a wicket. The leadership group which included Steve Smith devised a plan to tamper the ball to an extent that umpires have to replace it with a new one, offering Australia a glimmer of hope to turn the innings around.

The management decided that Cameron Bancroft would be the player carrying out the plan. The plan was that Bancroft would carry a sticky tape, rough it up with the dirt granules on the pitch and then rub it against the surface of the ball to tamper it.

Bancroft carried out the tampering as planned where he took the ball in an attempt to shine it, roughed it up with the tape and handed over the ball. The host broadcasters caught Bancroft's little stunt and repeatedly showed the incident where he used a yellow object to rub the ball and then put it back in his pocket.

This is where things really got interesting as footage shows that Aussie head coach Darren Lehmann was talking on a two-way radio with substitute fielder Peter Handscomb who was communicating to Bancroft that he's been caught.

Bancroft in an attempt to hide the yellow tape took it out of his pocket and shoved it clumsily in his trousers to evade it from the officials. Upon being summoned by the umpires, Bancroft produces the black handkerchief that's used to shine glasses from his pocket, claiming his innocence. The cameras caught the entire incident.

Captain Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft arrived late for the interview and that's when they came clean about how the tampering incident was a pre-planned incident during lunch time, how the leadership encouraged such an act.

According to a recent report via ESPN, Steve Smith and David Warner have been banned for 12 months by Cricket Australia for their roles in the incident. Cameron Bancroft, the player who carried out the tampering has been banned for 9 months. Each player will be given a right to challenge verdicts.

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