Aussie cricket union urges cut to Smith, Warner bans

SYDNEY, Oct 29 (AFP): Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft should have their cheating bans slashed because they were put under too much pressure by administrators, the Australian Cricketers' Association said Monday.

In the wake of a scathing report about the actions of Cricket Australia in the run-up to the March "sandpaper" incident that rocked the sport, the players' union painted the three Test stars as victims of circumstance and said they should be free to take the field again at the top level.

An independent review by a leading ethicist said the governing body put too much pressure on the players to win at all costs.