The prospect of a judicial stoush over the bans meted out by Cricket Australia (CA) in response to the cheating scandal looms large, with the players' union highly critical about the process and punishments.
Steve Smith and David Warner have both been banned for 12 months by CA, which has also stripped the captain and vice-captain of their leadership positions.
Cameron Bancroft, who CA claim carried out an illegal plan to scuff the ball with sandpaper after being instructed and advised by Warner, was give a nine-month suspension.
Smith, Warner and Bancroft have seven days to respond to the charges.
They can contest either the charge and/or sanctions at a hearing.
None of the three players have formally accepted their charges at this point.
Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) chief executive Alistair Nicholson has been on deck in both Cape Town and Johannesburg during recent days, advising and supporting the disgraced trio.
"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 said in a statement on Thursday.
Warner in particular is understood to be strongly considering the merits of a challenge, having been accused of being the architect of the ball-tampering ploy that plunged CA into crisis mode on Saturday.
Bancroft fronted reporters in Perth on Thursday, apologising and saying he was "extremely disappointed" and regretted his actions.
"I have received the paperwork for my sanction and I respect the process that is going to come with that and I will work with my manager and we'll move forward," Bancroft said.
Smith will address the media soon, while Warner has released an apologetic note in which he says "you will hear from me in a few days".
The ACA, which rowed with CA during an ugly pay dispute last year, listed a series of concerns in its statement.
"The grading and sanctions proposed are considerably higher than the ICC's grading and sanctions (for ball tampering)," it noted.
The ACA was also unhappy with "the activation of CA's board as a deliberative body on the proposed sanctions", and the "rush to place players before the world's media last Saturday night without the benefit of considered and coherent advice".
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