Opening ball to stumps: How the cricket scandal played out

It's hard to remember a more tumultuous week in Australian cricket.

The team's captain and vice-captain have been stripped of their positions and sent home in disgrace, along with the Test rookie who carried out their plan to tamper with the match ball.

And now, national coach Darren Lehmann has fallen on his sword.

It might be hard to keep track of everything that's gone down - the days have been packed with developments.

Saturday, March 24

Cameron Bancroft is caught by television cameras using sandpaper to try to alter the condition of the ball.

When he realised he'd been caught, he hid the sandpaper down his pants, telling umpires it was a sunglasses cover in his pocket.

He then told a media conference it was sticky tape, not sandpaper.

Monday, March 26

The scandal blows up internationally after captain Steve Smith admitted the team "leadership group" knew about the plan.

Smith and his deputy David Warner were stood down from leadership roles, while Australia was thumped by South Africa.

Tuesday, March 27

Cricket Australia singles out Smith, Bancroft and Warner as the only team memebrs with knowledge of the ball tampering plot.

CA chief James Sutherland refuses to label it "cheating" in a press conference.

Wednesday, March 28

CA confirm Smith and Warner have been banned for a year, while Bancroft cops a nine-month sentence.

Smith is booed and jeered as he's escorted through Johannesburg Airport for a flight home.

Thursday, March 29

By the evening, all three players have returned to Australia.

Bancroft is the first to front the media in Perth, admitting he lied after "panicking" about the situation.

Later, a heartbroken Smith read a statement to the cameras and answered questions.

"I just want to say I'm sorry for the pain that I've brought to Australia and the fans and the public - it's devastating, and I'm truly sorry," he said.

Warner, the alleged architect of the cheating scheme, met his family at the airport and refused to apologise.

He will speak publicly tomorrow morning.

And then the week was capped with another scalp as coach Darren Lehmann said he would be stepping down after the next Test.

"It's been a wonderful experience coaching the Australian cricket team," he said.