Australian cheating at Newlands, where to from here?

[Gough]

I can't remember anything like this in all my years of watching the game, to have an Australian captain come out and admit that he cheats is a bit of a Dylan goes electric moment for me. So where too now, who will captain the team in the next Test, what sanctions will be applied to others? The ramifications of this will be deeply felt and have long term consequences.

 

[Wolfs]

Yep, this will stick with him for a fair while. Greg chappell still cops to about the underarm.

I know what he did was stupid but I hope people forgive him. To me it is a disgrace that we welcome back athletes who get charged for physical abuse to women and we probably won't forgive Smith.

 

[archibald]

View attachment 474489

Journo: What was Lehmann saying through the walkie talkie?

Smith: Just that his dad likes to wear sneakers in the pool

 

[Mkcaptain]

Now the question is in the leadership group, who was part of the meetings.

Interesting that Smith was just talking about 'the leadership group' and not 'members of the leadership group'. Makes it hard to argue that they weren't all complicit.

 

[Tassieboy]

It’s amazing how trivial Smith seems to think this issue is he has no idea. This has come at the worst possible time for Cricket Australia as they try and negotiate their new TV rights deal.

 

[Ok Boomer]

The culture around the team has got to change now. The incessant and mindless sledging has got to stop for starters. It's 2018 not 1975. David Warner is an extremely unlikable man who needs to shut his gob or get out. The bowlers and the batsmen need to start showing some humility whenever they have success. More Ussie and Mark Waugh than Warner and Slater please.

Darren Lehmann has got to go immediately. His ideas for on field culture are dated at best. They shouldn't be trying to "push" the line, they should be trying to avoid it. It's embarrassing to watch this team, every new series there is some incident that makes Australia look bad.

 

[SilentHunter_]

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."

 

[the_interloper]

Does anyone believe Smith when he said this is the first time it's happened? I don't.

 

[Cuzz09]

Im devo. I love the Aussie Cricket team.

On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[90N90S]

"To suggest that Bancroft did not know the rules - the explanation offered for Peter Handscomb's suggestion that Smith ask the dressing room about a DRS referral in India last year - would be pointless: ball tampering is, rightly or wrongly, among cricket's most-high profile taboos - just ask Faf du Plessis. Indeed, Bancroft admitted to nervousness about a knowing attempt to rough up the ball illegally with the eyes of the world on Newlands. They knew this was wrong even as they contemplated it. To quote a detective observing a crime scene in the film Insomnia: "This guy crossed the line and he didn't even blink. You don't come back from that."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22898362/australia-line-becomes-their-noose

 

[TBoyleSuperstar]

I know what he did was stupid but I hope people forgive him. To me it is a disgrace that we welcome back athletes who get charged for physical abuse to women and we probably won't forgive Smith.

Yep, can't disagree there

 

[Wolfs]

Does anyone believe Smith when he said this is the first time it's happened? I don't.

No. No one does. Maybe first time they used sandpaper lol

 

[skipper kelly]

Smith actually intimated that it's time to move on now. Clearly doesn't understand the gravity of what they've done here.

I think he does think that way because he is young, dumb, has lived in a cricket bubble all his adult life and the ICC have treated ball tampering as a joke.

And WTF has happened to traditional swing bowling.

I want CA to sack the lot of them but will the world follow suit.

 

[Tassieboy]

Warner and Smith will lose millions from this. Who would pay big bucks to have these as ambassadors.

Smith keeps saying ‘it’s not what we’re about’, yet they consciously planned it over lunch time; it’s not as if he rubbed the ball against his zipper in a moment of mindlessness.

 

[a mayes ing]

I feel sorry for Bancroft, clearly wasnt his idea and probably volunteered as he was in the room at the time because he wants to be a part of the team

 

[Lebbo73]

This is way worse than the underarm; this really hits fans the most.

And it shows us up as arch hypocrites.

It's a dark day for our cricketing legacy.

At least the underarm incident was within the rules even if I thought it was disgusting. I went to bed at 11:30 last night and when I woke up I thought I would read the forum from where I last left it. So I have been commenting not knowing that Smith was involved. I even rolled my eyes at an earlier post that said this incident was on a par with the underarm incident. CA needs to be proactive starting at their press conference in half an hour. Heads must roll before the 4th Test.

 

[PoopingHindi]

Does anyone believe Smith when he said this is the first time it's happened? I don't.

**** no

 

[roscreasl98]

Id seen Smith do it numerous times before. I laughed at the 'brain fade' excuse

We're you so outraged when Faf cheated last year, or the Poms with their lip balm etc etc.
Reckon not......

 

[Doss]

They've lost me; it's one of those things that gets worse and tears at me as a cricket follower more and more, the more I think about it.

Go New Zealand.

 

[Tassieboy]

I feel sorry for Bancroft, clearly wasnt his idea and probably volunteered as he was in the room at the time because he wants to be a part of the team

There’s a fair chance the overheard story is bullshit and he was explicitly asked and he just deferred to authority.

 

[Mkcaptain]

I find it very hard to believe that Bancroft just happened to overhear the leadership group talk about cheating the first time they've discussed cheating. And he just happened to volunteer himself as the sacrificial lamb.

This is an all time low

 

[Richard Pryor]

This will be a massive part of Smith's legacy however his career goes. Standing down as Captain is arguably the best course of action for him to take.

Massive failure of team leadership that calls for massive change-ups. Slaps on the wrist will make it very hard to get behind the side as a supporter.

 

[Wolfs]

I love how Pup is using this to garner the Aussie public. Firstly we don't know what happens, and secondly really?

Call me a cynic but Pup has done some ball tampering or knew about it as captain, wasn't a fan of Smith (they butted heads if I can recall), and he's trying to garner support. God, I'm suh a cynic

 

[FRUMPY]

They're not sorry for what they did, They're sorry they got caught.

Any other team and we would want them banned for years. Same should apply to us but cricket Australia will give a slap on the wrist.

Ban them for 12 months (Smith Bancroft warner Hazelwood starc) anyone else who knew what was going on.

None of them to ever lead again ever and none should be able to play anywhere incl 20/20 tournaments

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[VL3OJ]

As Australian cricketers, you have a duty of care and responsibility to the Baggy Green and to Australia. This event goes far far further than UnderarmGate in that was within the rules (just) but not the spirit. Can anyone think of anything more damaging to the Baggy Green brand ever?

The ACB must come to the fore. It is crisis time for cricket and the ACB and the result (regardless of ICC) must be fast (ie today) and must be harsh.
We forfeit the test, Lehman goes, Smith is sacked as captain and stood down for the remainder of the series along with the the rest of the leadership team.

It wont happen (see @Anzacpaul above) but this could kill test cricket and short term losses need to be made.