Cricket Australia (CA), the governing body of the sport in Australia, has brought an end to speculations over possible early returns of two of their banned cricketers Steve Smith and David Warner. The CA ruled out any such possibilities as they issued a statement on Tuesday categorically denying any leniency towards the tainted former captain and his then deputy.

Both Smith and Warner are currently serving out their one-year bans as a result of the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australian cricket in March this year.

Opening batsman Cameron Bancroft was also handed over a ban for nine months for his role in altering the condition of the ball with sandpaper during a Test match against South Africa in Cape Town. However, he will be able to return to representative cricket at the end of December.

The Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) have so far contested the bans and made a submission to the CA calling it "unduly harsh" while pushing for all three to be able to return to first-class cricket as soon as possible. Further, the ACA lashed out at the board last month saying the governing body had contributed to the ball-tampering scandal by fostering a "win without counting the costs" culture.

CA's interim chair Earl Eddings said in a statement, "The Cricket Australia Board has carefully considered all elements of the ACA submission and has determined that it is not appropriate to make any changes to the sanctions handed down to the three players."

"Despite the absence of any recommendation regarding the sanctions in the recently released Ethics Centre Review, the Board has deliberated on the ACA's submission at length. We have reconsidered the sanctions as they apply to each of Steve, David, and Cameron in light of the ACA's submission and the Ethics Centre Review and Recommendations."

"The original decision of the Board to sanction the players was determined after rigorous discussion and consideration. CA maintains that both the length and nature of the sanctions remain an appropriate response in light of the considerable impact on the reputation of Australian cricket, here and abroad," the statement read.

However, the ACA reacted to Eddings's statement and remarked that it "respectfully" disagreed with CA's decision, which it regarded as "disappointing."

Meanwhile, Eddings made it clear that no further submissions for a review of the punishments would be heard by the CA board.

He mentioned, "Steve, David, and Cameron are working hard to demonstrate their commitment to cricket and have our continued support to ensure their pathway to return is as smooth as possible. We believe the ongoing conversation about reducing the sanctions puts undue pressure on the three players – all of whom accepted the sanctions earlier this year – and the Australian men's cricket team. As such, the Cricket Australia Board does not intend to consider further calls for amendments to the sanctions. Though we recognize that this decision will be disappointing for the ACA, we thank them for their submission."