Steve Smith has stepped down as Australia's cricket captain for the rest of the third Test against South Africa after his team cheated earlier in the match.

Smith, along with vice-captain David Warner, will no longer lead the side in the Cape Town fixture but will continue playing as cricket authorities in Australia investigate the ball-tampering scandal.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said Smith had been given a one-match suspension and fined 100% of his match fee.

The skipper and other senior players admitted conspiring to change the condition of the ball as they tried to gain an advantage on day three on Saturday.

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Players' confession on Saturday

The crisis has led to a "national day of shame", according to several former cricketers speaking out after batsman Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera holding a small yellow piece of sticky tape, which he revealed was used to rough up the ball.

The tape was used to pick up dirt and rub it on the ball in an attempt to get it to reverse swing but Bancroft was caught on TV cameras trying to hide the evidence by shoving the tape down his trousers before being questioned by umpires.

The ICC said Bancroft had been fined 75% of his match fee for his role and handed three demerit points, which are part of a system introduced to implement punishments for offending players.

ICC chief executive David Richardson said the sport needed to "have a hard look at itself". He added: "The ICC needs to do more to prevent poor behaviour and better police the spirit of the game, defining more clearly what is expected of players and enforcing the regulations in a consistent fashion."

Image: Cameron Bancroft attempted to hide the tape in his trousers

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said: "Following discussions with Steve Smith and David Warner they have agreed to stand down as captain and vice-captain respectively for the remainder of this Test match.

"This Test match needs to proceed, and in the interim we will continue to investigate this matter with the urgency that it demands.

"As I said earlier today, Cricket Australia and Australian cricket fans expect certain standards of conduct from cricketers representing our country, and on this occasion these standards have not been met.

"All Australians, like us, want answers and we will keep you updated on our findings, as a matter of priority."

WATCH: Australia have been caught up in a ball tampering scandal in their Test against South Africa.



They could be in trouble here...👀 pic.twitter.com/llccSyirfS — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) March 24, 2018

Batsman and wicket-keeper Tim Paine is standing in as acting captain for the rest of the match.

Cricket Australia chairman David Peever said: "Both Steve and David will take to the field today under Tim's captaincy.

"The board fully supports the process for an immediate investigation into what occurred in Cape Town. We regard this as a matter of the utmost seriousness and urgency. We will ensure we have all information available to make the right decisions for Australian Cricket."

Image: Umpires speak to Australian cricketers Cameron Bancroft and Steven Smith

The move comes after the players' revelations sparked outrage in Australia and elsewhere in the cricketing world.

Former England captain Michael Atherton said the Australian team was "in crisis" after it was announced Smith and Warner would be stepping down.

He told Sky News: "This will be the line in the sand now, this will be the moment from which I think there will be pressure to clean up their act and move forward in a different way under whoever the next captain is."

Atherton said people in Australia had "never seen the level of anger directed at the team".

Image: David Warner has stepped down as vice-captain for the Test match

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke could not comprehend what he had witnessed during the match.

"WHAT THE ...... HAVE I JUST WOKEN UP TO. Please tell me this is a bad dream," he tweeted.

Former Australia batsman Jimmy Maher called it a "national day of shame" for the country "and for the entire cricket world, really" as the Australian Sports Commission called for Smith to resign.

Image: Shane Warne said the sides he played in never cheated

Shane Warne, a former Australia leg spinner added: "I don't care who you are, you can't tamper with the ball. I know the Australian sides I played in never did anything like that."

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the incident "beggars belief" and that the players' behaviour was a "shocking disappointment".

"I have to say that the whole nation which holds those who wear the 'baggy green' up on a pedestal about as high as you can get in Australia, certainly higher than any politician that's for sure, this is a shocking disappointment," he said.

Image: Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith admitted ball tampering against South Africa

Speaking on Saturday, Smith said he was "embarrassed" and "incredibly sorry" but claimed Australia's coaches were unaware of the cheating.

"I sit before you today and I'm not proud of it at all," he said.