Disgraced Australia stars Steve Smith and David Warner should not be allowed to play in England, according to legendary bowler Darren Gough.
Smith was axed as Australia captain and banned for a year for his part in the ball-tampering scandal that erupted in South Africa earlier in the year.
Opening batsman Warner masterminded the plan – which saw Cameron Bancroft use sandpaper to damage the ball – and was also suspended for 12 months.
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Bancroft, who was playing in just his eighth Test match at the time, was given a six-month ban.
All three Australians have been linked with county deals in England but Gough would be hugely disappointed if they played here before their international bans were up.
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I think it is such a sensitive issue, the former England bowler, who took over 450 international wickets, wrote in a column for the Yorkshire Post.
I do think there has been an overreaction regarding the bans, but once they got the 12-month bans from Cricket Australia, I would be hugely disappointed if one of the counties employed one of those three this season.
Next season, I would have no issue with it. They will have then served their ban. But not this season.
Bancroft, who was caught on camera trying to damage the condition of the ball during the third Test match against South Africa, had signed a deal to play for Somerset this summer.
But the county cancelled his contract after he admitted to ball tampering and signed another Australian batsman, Matt Renshaw, as his replacement.
Somerset led the way for me by getting rid of Bancroft, Gough added.
What disappointed me most about what [Surrey head coach] Michael Di Venuto said was that he actually stated that bringing in one of those three would benefit Australian cricket.
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I am not bothered about benefitting Australian cricket. Why would one of our coaches in this country want to benefit their cricket with the Ashes coming up here next year?
This year, with everything that has gone on, I think it would be a bad move for a county to take them.
MORE: England captain Joe Root backs controversial 100-ball format
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Disgraced Australia stars Steve Smith and David Warner should not be allowed to play in England, according to legendary bowler Darren Gough.
Smith was axed as Australia captain and banned for a year for his part in the ball-tampering scandal that erupted in South Africa earlier in the year.
Opening batsman Warner masterminded the plan – which saw Cameron Bancroft use sandpaper to damage the ball – and was also suspended for 12 months.
More: Cricket
Bancroft, who was playing in just his eighth Test match at the time, was given a six-month ban.
All three Australians have been linked with county deals in England but Gough would be hugely disappointed if they played here before their international bans were up.
AdvertisementAdvertisement
I think it is such a sensitive issue, the former England bowler, who took over 450 international wickets, wrote in a column for the Yorkshire Post.
I do think there has been an overreaction regarding the bans, but once they got the 12-month bans from Cricket Australia, I would be hugely disappointed if one of the counties employed one of those three this season.
Next season, I would have no issue with it. They will have then served their ban. But not this season.
Bancroft, who was caught on camera trying to damage the condition of the ball during the third Test match against South Africa, had signed a deal to play for Somerset this summer.
But the county cancelled his contract after he admitted to ball tampering and signed another Australian batsman, Matt Renshaw, as his replacement.
Somerset led the way for me by getting rid of Bancroft, Gough added.
What disappointed me most about what [Surrey head coach] Michael Di Venuto said was that he actually stated that bringing in one of those three would benefit Australian cricket.
More: Cricket
I am not bothered about benefitting Australian cricket. Why would one of our coaches in this country want to benefit their cricket with the Ashes coming up here next year?
This year, with everything that has gone on, I think it would be a bad move for a county to take them.
MORE: England captain Joe Root backs controversial 100-ball format
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