Michael Clarke has urged fans and the media to be gentle on the ball tampering trio when they return to Australia.
Captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were stripped of their leadership positions and banned for 12 months, while Cameron Bancroft was suspended for nine months.
Former captain Clarke criticised what he claimed was a push by media and fans to "go hard" on Warner under a perception he could handle the criticism.
He said everyone "had to be gentle" on the entire trio.
"Whatever punishment and sanctions they cop, that is going to be nothing compared to what they're going to deal with for the rest of their lives," he told the Nine Network on Thursday.
"They're going to be called cheats for the rest of their lives."
Like Clarke, Shane Warne didn't expect such long bans.
He served a 12-month ban in 2003 for doping, and suggested CA caved to public "hysteria".
"Their actions were indefensible, and they need to be severely punished," Warne wrote on Facebook.
"There is no way you can condone it ... but the jump to hysteria is something that has elevated the offence beyond what they actually did.
"Maybe we're at a point where the punishment just might not fit the crime."
CA chief executive James Sutherland said his board debated a series of punishments but landed at something they felt was "appropriate, commensurate".
South Africa batsman Hashim Amla took no delight in the enforced omissions of Australia's shamed trio.
"When something like this happens, you definitely feel sympathy for the person it happened to," Amla said.
Indian great Sachin Tendulkar said the "right decision" had been made to uphold the game's integrity.
"(Cricket is) a game that I believe should be played in the purest form," he tweeted on Thursday.
"Winning is important but the way you win is more important"
"The three Australians made a mistake and have had to pay the price for it. We all make mistakes, we're not perfect."
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson says he has been in touch with Warner - a team-mate in the Indian Premier League - and stressed he isn't the villainous figure that is widely portrayed.
"He's not a bad person by any means. Through what's eventuated in recent times there's been a lot of emotion and energy pointed at certain players which has gone to extreme lengths," Williamson said.
"It will blow over in time but it's grown and grown and like I say he's not a bad guy.
"They will have to take the strong punishment and move on. You always learn from tough lessons and I'm sure they'll do that. But it is a shame that two fantastic world-class players (Warner and Smith) have made a mistake."
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