Big Bash League: Hobart Hurricanes' Emily Smith banned for posting team line-up on Instagram
Cricket Australia (CA) has imposed a year-long ban, with nine months suspended, on Hobart Hurricanes player Emily Smith after she posted a team line-up on Instagram before its official release.
Smith's post, which went up around an hour before it was permitted, was considered a breach of CA's anti-corruption code.
The 24-year-old displayed the team on the social media platform prior to a Women's Big Bash League fixture against Sydney Thunder on November 2, a match that was abandoned because of poor weather.
The sanction has been accepted by Smith and the three-month suspension she will serve rules her out of the rest of the Women's Big Bash League and Women's National Cricket League.
Sean Carroll, CA's head of integrity and security, said the governing body accepted there was no intent to breach the code but all players must be aware of their responsibilities.
Carroll said via a CA statement: "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.
"Since the commencement of the WBBL, Cricket Australia has had in place a robust anti-corruption program.
"We have been working with Emily throughout the process and Emily now understands the mistake she made.
"Unfortunately, in this instance Emily's actions breached the Anti-Corruption Code. We hope this serves as reminder to all that the Anti-Corruption Code is critical to protecting the integrity of the game."