Australia ball-tampering scandal

[andy]

Good win for SA, happy for Morkel as well! I guess Paine will captain the last test...not ideal, as maybe lyon could have been considered, but i guess he will be in the 'leadership group', M.Marsh could be considered for captaincy too? I know re-establisihing himself back in the side, but as is Paine, and Marsh has been captaining WA this year

[The Professor]

Mitch Marsh would be my pick on current form and on experience.

Has more of a future in the side than Paine too.

[andy]

Was there a post match press conference today? Want to see it, but can't find it anywhere :/

[captaincolly]

According to The Telegraph : " The Sydney Morning Herald reported senior players including Josh Hazelwood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon, are saying privately they had nothing to do with it and feel they were unfairly thrown into the mix by Smith as the scandal threatens to rip apart the team."

[GarlicJam]

Probably an unpopular view, but there seems to be talk of more draconian punishments than are really necessary here. Turnbull certainly has no business getting involved. Ban the senior players for a couple of tests, Bancroft for the last test of the series and move forwards.

It is interesting that this sort of incident draws such a furore, but players blatantly edging and not walking, also pure cheating, is considered ok.

What I will say is with the amount of TV cameras etc around, it is plain stupid to try something like this. Though Trescothick seemed to get away with it in '05.

You are looking at this purely from a cricket viewpoint, GG. It is far bigger than that.

This is a national issue at home. This is serious. Cricket is a major part of the fabric that makes up the national psyche in Aus.

Smith may have cheated in a game of cricket, but he has betrayed his nation.


Many Australians will never forgive him for this. And a lot of those adored him up to 2 days ago. You listen to the soundbite of Jim Maxwell discussing this during commentary yesterday. (it is on the BBC site) His emotion is just what millions of Australians are feeling.

Smith can never captain Australia again. He may never play for our country again, I don't care if he doesn't, atm.

[Arthur Crabtree]

According to The Telegraph : " The Sydney Morning Herald reported senior players including Josh Hazelwood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon, are saying privately they had nothing to do with it and feel they were unfairly thrown into the mix by Smith as the scandal threatens to rip apart the team."

The whole team must have known.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Bit surprised and disappointed if Pat Cummins went along with this as he seemed someone with a sense of perspective. But as a bowler, he had to know.

[bigfluffylemon]

Well well well. This is moving on quickly.

The reaction here in Australia has been swift and harsh. Perhaps surprisingly so. When the Prime Minister and the government's sporting commission weigh in, you know it's a big deal. The public and the press appear to be outraged.

So they should be, but it does seem to be getting out of hand. There have been articles calling for Warner and Smith to be permanently banned from the game, which is beyond the magnitude of the offence. There have been plenty of ball tampering incidents in the past, and players have been rightly punished (usually with fines rather than bans), and everyone has moved on from it. While the South Africans are sitting up there claiming the moral high ground, their captain has been twice found to be on the wrong end of ball-tampering incidents. And yet he's still captain. And let's not forget the infamous 'dirt in the pocket', the murray mints, etc., etc.

The difference here seems to be that in previous incidents, the footage has been somewhat ambiguous, and the player involved has generally claimed (truly or falsely) to have been acting alone - a temporary 'brain-fade' if you will. We can be sceptical, but without any evidence, the player has taken the rap. In this case, the footage caught Bancroft red-handed with no room for interpretation, and it was also blatant that the dressing-room knew what was going on as messages were being relayed via Handscomb. The fact that this has now been admitted to pre-meditated cheating seems to be what has caused such outrage.

Broad's comments were interesting and quite carefully framed. He said that it was 'curious' that Australia would have changed their method of getting the ball to reverse, given Smith said that this was the first time they did it and they came up with it in the lunch interval. He pointed to the fact that Australia got the ball reversing in the Ashes when England couldn't, but then carefully said that England had no evidence of any ball-tampering during the Ashes, and they 'assumed' that the Australian bowlers knew how to exploit the home conditions better than England. The insinuation was clear, without any accusation whatsoever. I wonder if the England team's lawyer had a hand in that one...

Reverse swing is a strange one. It seems generally accepted that to get it to happen, the condition of the ball does need to be worked on, and every team has their methods of trying to get the ball to do more. Let's not pretend that England or South Africa don't push the line too. It's a hard balance, as the game is already tough enough for the bowlers even with reverse swing in the equation.

To me, the punishment meted out seems about right - fines, a one-test ban for Smith and demerit points and fines all round. I think Smith will have to relinquish the captaincy, at least temporarily, as the Australian public wouldn't support him in the role, at least for now. But by next (southern hemisphere) summer, all may be forgiven and forgotten. It's not like match-fixing, which should rightly result in long bans.

[bigfluffylemon]

Of course, part of the issue is that this Australian team doesn't engender much sympathy. From 'f***ing broken arms' to 'sending Broad home crying like a baby', to 'ending careers', to the punch-up between Warner and Rabada, they seem all too happy to dish out the trash on and off the field.

[backfootpunch]

Of course, part of the issue is that this Australian team doesn't engender much sympathy. From 'f***ing broken arms' to 'sending Broad home crying like a baby', to 'ending careers', to the punch-up between Warner and Rabada, they seem all too happy to dish out the trash on and off the field.

Then when they get a volley back they whinge about it

[Toby F]

While I am totally p***ed with Smith and co, I have always been anti ball tampering. I find the hypocrisy of Faf and Atherton stunning. I guess the SA captain has finally admitted that Smith's is bigger than his. Also calls for life bans are also far beyond what has happened to previous cheats.

I wont be following aus cricket for a while, at least until things become clearer, but things need to be kept in perspective.

[Red Devil]

While I am totally p***ed with Smith and co, I have always been anti ball tampering. I find the hypocrisy of Faf and Atherton stunning. I guess the SA captain has finally admitted that Smith's is bigger than his. Also calls for life bans are also far beyond what has happened to previous cheats.

I wont be following aus cricket for a while, at least until things become clearer, but things need to be kept in perspective.

Agreed Toby, it's not bad enough to permanently end careers, although it is pretty bad so I do think Aus should think carefully about captain, vice captain etc.

However, Aus supporters may feel differently

[backfootpunch]

While I am totally p***ed with Smith and co, I have always been anti ball tampering. I find the hypocrisy of Faf and Atherton stunning. I guess the SA captain has finally admitted that Smith's is bigger than his. Also calls for life bans are also far beyond what has happened to previous cheats.

I wont be following aus cricket for a while, at least until things become clearer, but things need to be kept in perspective.

Agreed Toby, it's not bad enough to permanently end careers, although it is pretty bad so I do think Aus should think carefully about captain, vice captain etc.

However, Aus supporters may feel differently

It seems to have been reacted two by some people as though they were caught match fixing

Ball tampering happens regularly this does seem to be slightly different as it was planned by a group of senior people in the Australian squad which would seem to be why the reaction has been so strong

[sussexpob]

I wont be following aus cricket for a while, at least until things become clearer, but things need to be kept in perspective.

You, and other Aussie's here, are talking about turning your back on the sport. So what perspective are you preaching? One that you are incapable subjectively of accomplishing?

I think you are well within your rights to turn your back away from the sport, but let's not add any asterisk about other people's OTT reactions. Your stance is about as tough as you can take

You've voted with your feet. So let's not pretend this is nothing.

[sussexpob]

Personally, if some one can come up with a compelling argument as to why ball tampering is no worse than drugs or match fixing I'm all ears.

The sport needs to make a stand. What has happened in the past, I care little for. I want the book thrown. Smith has brought question and Shame over his team and every single match they've played. Like broad, I now wonder if the ashes was a hoax

There is no worse crime in sport than that