An emotional Steve Smith broke down in his first press conference after being fired as Australia’s cricket captain.

Smith, 28, was sent home early from a Test series in South Africa after being found guilty of offences relating to attempted ball-tampering in Cape Town by Cricket Australia.

David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were the two others charged – with Smith and Warner hit with 12-month bans and Bancroft hit with a nine-month ban.

After arriving in Sydney, the former skipper started crying mid-interview, acknowledging the ball-tampering scandal was “a serious failure of my leadership”.

“To all Australians who are disappointed and angry, I’m sorry,” he said.

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“Tonight I want to make clear that as captain of the Australia cricket team I take full responsibility. I made a serious error of judgement.

“It was a serious failure of my leadership. I’ll do everything I can to make up for my mistake and the damage it’s caused.

“If any good can come of this, if there can be a lesson to others, then I hope I can be a force for change.”

Smith was adamant that the Cape Town incident was the first time Australia had ball-tampered during his tenure.

“To my knowledge this has never happened before,” he added.

“This is the first time I’ve seen this happen and I can assure you it will never happen again.

“I don’t blame anyone. I’m the captain of the Australian team, it’s on my watch and I take responsibility for what happened in Cape Town last Saturday.

“I know I’ll regret this for the rest of my life, I’m absolutely gutted. I hope in time I can earn back respect and forgiveness.

“I’ve been so privileged and honoured to represent my country and captain Australia. Cricket is the greatest game in the world and it’s been my life – I hope it can be again. I’m absolutely devastated.”

Smith was asked what message he would send to children that follow cricket.

He said: “I’ll say two things… three things. Firstly, I’m deeply sorry, I love the game of cricket, I love entertaining young kids, I love kids wanting to play the great game of cricket that I love.

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“The two other things is: any time you think about making a questionable decision, think about who you’re affecting. You’re affecting your parents and to see the way my old man’s been… it hurts.”

Losing his focus as he broke down, Smith forgot the third point he intended to make, adding: “I can’t remember what else.”

Concluding his press conference, he said: “I just want to say I’m sorry for the pain that I guess I’ve brought to Australia and the fans and the public. It’s devastating and I’m truly sorry.”

David Warner has apologised for his role in a ball-tampering scandal which has seen him banned for a year and lose his position as vice-captain of the Australian side.

Warner, along with Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, were sanctioned for their roles in the fiasco during a Test against South Africa.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Warner said: “Mistakes have been made which have damaged cricket.

“I apologise for my part and take responsibility for it.

“I understand the distress this has caused the sport and its fans.

“It’s a stain on the game we all love and I have loved since I was a boy.”

Cameron Bancroft admits he feels “like I’ve let everyone down” after his involvement in the ball-tampering scandal.

The Australian opener was banned for nine months by Cricket Australia after attempting to alter the condition of the ball with sandpaper during the third Test against South Africa, with captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner – CA found that the latter had come up with the idea – handed 12-month bans.

Speaking for the first time since the ban was announced, Bancroft said in a press conference broadcast on 9news.com.au: “I feel like I’ve let everyone down in Australia.

“People know that I’ve worked so hard to get this opportunity in my career and I’ve given someone else an opportunity for free. I’m going to work so hard to get back this dream I’ve had since I was a kid of playing for Australia.”

A clearly emotional Bancroft insisted the Cape Town incident was a one-off.

“I have never ever been involved in tampering with the ball and it completely compromises my values and what I stand for as a player and a person,” he added.

“For Australian cricket it’s not acceptable.

“That’s also a big learning curve for me that I had the opportunity to take control of my own values and my own actions and I didn’t – and that’s a real embarrassment for me. I’m sorry for what’s entailed since then.”

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The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) has said there were a number of “glaring and clear anomalies” in the process leading up to the bans for Smith, Warner and Bancroft.

In a statement, the body which represents the players in Australia said: “It is right that these mistakes are sanctioned, and that must occur in a fair and proper way.

“The national game we all love must always demonstrate standards and behaviours consistent with both the rules, and the spirit, of cricket.

“And the game must be supported by rigorous and fair processes.

“There are a number of glaring and clear anomalies in the process to date which causes the ACA to query the severity and proportionality of the proposed sanctions.”

The ACA then listed what it said were the anomalies, which included the length of the bans handed out by Cricket Australia and the “rush to place players before the world’s media last Saturday night without the benefit of considered and coherent advice”.