Former Test captain Michael Clarke says he’s worried about the well-being of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft in the wake of the ball tampering scandal.

Smith and Warner have both been handed 12-month bans with Bancroft receiving a nine-month suspension.

Clarke says he accepts the three have made mistakes but tells Ben Fordham he “can’t accept seeing lives ruined”.

“I’m really worried about these three players.

“They deserve to be punished for making a very, very silly mistake and hurting our game but they also deserve the opportunity to make amends.

“For these three players, unfortunately, that cheating tag and that cheating logo is something they’re going to have to deal with for the rest of their life.”

He says there’s no doubt cricket has taken a hit but now’s the time to improve the game.

“I’m seeing sponsors walk away, I’m seeing people turn away… and that’s devastating.

“I would love to see one day all three of these guys back playing for Australia and learning from what’s happened.”

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