Sir Donald Bradman

When Steve Smith took over as Australia skipper from Michael Clarke in 2015, he vowed to continue Australia's brand of "hard, aggressive" cricket -- without crossing the line. Just 32 months on, the 28-year-old has been sent home in disgrace from a tour of South Africa after masterminding a ball-tampering scandal seen as breaching the standards he promised to respect. Smith's stunning fall from grace -- on the heels of high praise for his recent performances in the Ashes when he was described as the "best since (Don) Bradman" -- is an extraordinary turn of events for the world's premier Test batsman. Steven Peter Devereux Smith, born in Sydney in 1989, made his first-class debut for New South Wales in 2008 when he was regarded more as a promising leg-spinner. Two years later, he was given his Baggy Green cap against Pakistan, where he batted at number eight. Dropped during Australia's home series Ashes loss to England, Smith was recalled to the Test team in 2013. His maiden Test century came at the expense of England in the fifth Test at The Oval.