International cricket thread

VillaMad

flatty wrote: »

This entire match is now moot in my opinion. The aussies clearly caught sandpapering one side of the ball, which is still being used, and is reverse swinging.
This match is now pointless in a way.
It's highly unlikely that this was done as an individual, or that it is the first time.
This aussie side are just, well, cheats, and now have an asterisk beside every victory.
It's utterly wrong. Why would a side with their apparent talent resort to this? It has ridiculed the game really.

And obviously with Bancroft being the least experienced player for them, he has been told to do it. It stinks.

Horrible, horrible side who constantly have to play the game to a different standard to everyone else.

Adamcp898

Interesting that the match referee didn't do anything at tea. Gives the Aussies a chance to get their story straight but edited together clips of it happening, Lehman giving the 12th man a message which was run on followed by the poor attempt at shoving it inconspicuously down his pants looks very bad. Last thing test cricket needs is a large scale controversy and this has been a bad tour for Australia.

Mr. Guappa

Steve Smith has admitted that it was a co-ordinated plan. They talked about it at lunch. Wow.

alchemist33

Smith says they regret it now. Since it was all planned in advance "for an advantage" I presume he means they regret being caught.

Beasty

Saying coaching staff not involved. I'd really like to believe that, and maybe the fact they've admitted it so quickly helps support that. Either way there has to be some pretty serious repercussions. This series really does seem to be grabbing all the wrong headlines

Maybe one option would be to shove Australia to the bottom of the Test rankings, giving Ireland a leg up them when they play Pakistan!

flatty

I really think this is serious. I don't like example law, but this was blatant cheating. Premeditated and dishonest.
Fortunes are won and lost on such things. This isn't grey area. This is absolutely black and white.
I reckon Smith should get a very lengthy ban, as should Bancroft.
The aussie bowlers. Well, they're just frauds. There's no way round it. Sandpapering the ball. It's far worse than Thierry Henri. It was thought out, planned and executed. That aussie team are a stain on world sport.

Pa8301

Surely Smith has to be sacked as Australian Captain for this.

Tom Mann Centuria

Here's Bancroft in January

https://twitter.com/dpcoverdale/status/977663181198974976?s=19

Not a one off, just the first time they've been caught imo.

byronbay2

Pa8301 wrote: »

Surely Smith has to be sacked as Australian Captain for this.

To say that I am stunned at this is a huge under-statement! Not that Australia would cheat, obviously, but that they would put their hands up when caught! I can't believe they didn't push Bancroft under the bus!

Absolute horror-show for world cricket. An international team quite happy to deliberately cheat and then do a mea-culpa afterwards?? Must be huge sanctions for Aus after this, not least Smith losing the captaincy.

Regarding the current Test, wtf are NZ waiting for??

byronbay2

byronbay2 wrote: »

To say that I am stunned at this is a huge under-statement! Not that Australia would cheat, obviously, but that they would put their hands up when caught! I can't believe they didn't push Bancroft under the bus!

Absolute horror-show for world cricket. An international team quite happy to deliberately cheat and then do a mea-culpa afterwards?? Must be huge sanctions for Aus after this, not least Smith losing the captaincy.

Regarding the current Test, wtf are NZ waiting for??

Williamson obviously waiting for my post!

Beasty

Smith suspended from next test

4 demerit points to him and fine of 100% of match fee, 3 points to Bancroft with 75% of match fee fine

Obviously Warner must be part of this "leadership group" - I'm assuming no action against him or others in that "group" from the ICC. Suspect Cricket Australia will go to town on them though

xpletiv

Aussies gotten away lightly with this. Disgraceful.

Should be Smith to lose captaincy and Warner to never become captain.

Glad SA have been tonking them this test. really, really hate the Aussie team and their mentality and have for years.

Beasty

Think I'll wait until we see what the Cricket Australia do. The ICC have rules and have followed them. There are a host of other factors CA can take into account, particularly from the current series. Many commentators have been suggesting the team has been out of control. Only the CA can remove the captaincy, or prohibit anyone from taking it on.

StringerBell

I wouldn't be shocked to see this as the end for smith given how CA operate, it's possible his batting ability might save him but I dunno. Think his captaincy is in serious peril.

Such a poor judgement decision. Really disappointed.

StringerBell

Today capped off a misreble 24 hours for the Australia team. No wickets down at break to all out by end of play. Delighted for morkel though that he is getting to go out on a personal high. Great player for the game

HonalD

Smith deserves to be sacked from captaincy and internationally banned for a period. Bancroft should get a ban and anyone else involved. Cricket Australia are the ones in charge of these punishments and to be honest, a lifetime ban for cheating would not be out of order. If you call for such for doping offences and spot betting , then premeditated organised cheating with the ball falls in the same zone.

The Rape of Lucretia

HonalD wrote: »

Smith deserves to be sacked from captaincy and internationally banned for a period. Bancroft should get a ban and anyone else involved. Cricket Australia are the ones in charge of these punishments and to be honest, a lifetime ban for cheating would not be out of order.

Why the heavy hand ? If it is a catered for offence, with a 1 match ban already specified, isnt that what it should be ?

StringerBell

HonalD wrote: »

Smith deserves to be sacked from captaincy and internationally banned for a period. Bancroft should get a ban and anyone else involved. Cricket Australia are the ones in charge of these punishments and to be honest, a lifetime ban for cheating would not be out of order. If you call for such for doping offences and spot betting , then premeditated organised cheating with the ball falls in the same zone.

It's out of line with previous disciplinary action and somewhat heavy handed. Lifetime ban? Really?

dfx-

Ball tampering is one thing...

But to openly declare it was a deliberate tactic known and planned beforehand is inexcusable and goes beyond a game ban type offence. At the very least, Smith cannot be captain and Warner needs to be dropped. Lehmann better not have known about it, but his reaction in the ground at the time is telling.

riffmongous

I know things are serious when I find myself agreeing with Stuart Broad

flatty

riffmongous wrote: »

I know things are serious when I find myself agreeing with Stuart Broad

What did he have to say?

riffmongous

flatty wrote: »

What did he have to say?

I saw Steve Smith in his press conference say it's the first time they've tried it - which to me, it's surprising why they'd change a method that's been working," Broad said.

"Look at the Ashes series we've just played, all those Test matches, and they've reverse-swung the ball sometimes in conditions you wouldn't expect it to. I don't understand why they've changed their method for this one game.

"There was no evidence that they were doing this in the Ashes series, from what I've seen."

"Just from the outside, it looks like Australia have started a lot of fights and then [are] moaning when someone comes back.

"Cricket is a tough game, and international cricket [more so]. Verbals have always been in the game, and Australia have always been quite famous for that. Having played in a few Ashes series, I'm used to that and don't mind it at all I like sport to be competitive.

"But this series, I don't really understand Darren Lehmann saying the South African crowd have been out of order. Any England player that has toured Australia can laugh at those comments really, because some of the things we hear on the pitch from Australian supporters - known as 'banter' - I know is worse than South Africa.

It's mostly that it's Broad saying it, he's probably my least favourite cricketer outside of Australia

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22906812/stuart-broad-pours-scorn-australian-double-standards

StringerBell

A whole pile of nothing from Broad tbh

Australia are finding the challenge of South Africa away too tough to overcome, South Africa are well able to give it and back it up unlike England also which only adds to the pressure cooker.

I agree that Boof should feck off really when it comes to the crowd and just get on with it, its looking for excuses and a place to hide to escape the problems out in the middle which will serve no purpose long term.

I'd well believe this is the first time they have tried this as it was executed so poorly and due to the nature of them probably feeling under more pressure than they have been as a unit before. This move reeked of desperation, not being able to cope with being outdone by a better team. There may be not much between them but right now South Africa look much the stronger even if it is just a case of a couple more players actually showing up and getting the job done for them. It shows a weakness in Smith's character that I am disappointed is there and tbh he cannot in my mind stay on as captain. He will remain in the line up only due to his ability, the batting order is not very strong and he has covered a lot of cracks this summer (down under) CA are prone to stubborn decisions but they are not totally stupid.

Warner might be dropped for a couple of Tests but I can't see him missing out too much either. He will not take up the captaincy that Smith will (surely) be stripped of. Paine will probably continue. The rest of this leadership group? Well Starc is definitely one of them, what of him? Lyon is surely senior enough at this point to have a big say, would Paine not have been involved?

Plenty still to run in this and I am disgusted it has happened because it puts a black mark against this teams results now. It really isn't worth it.

StringerBell

South African captain (and twice done for ball tampering) FDP was pretty diplomatic I thought, obviously glass houses and stones come to mind but a little taking the sting out of the situation before the final test is a good thing imo and with smith and I hope warmer sitting it out it would be nice to focus on the game itself in what has been a brilliant series up to this black cloud

flatty

Australia blatantly, calculateldly and deliberately cheated. They are as believable as Bradley wiggins, and their results have the same credibility. First time they tried it? Don't make me laugh.
They might as well just bowl from wherever they like, bowling with a ball which had an implement taken to it. Super. They are good at whatever game they are playing. That game isn't cricket, as they don't play under the same rules as everyone else.
They are cheats.
That is all.
Worse still, let's make the new lad do it.
And anyone who thinks some young lad on the team was taking a tool to one side of the ball without the seam/pace bowlers knowledge is being wilfully ignorant.
The artifice extended to the bantery on field "casual chat" after which Bancroft secreted whatever he was using in his trousers.
If australia as a cricketing nation and public are happy to win that way, good luck to them and all, just don't expect anyone else to enjoy it. They'll just hold their noses and play.
Even still, with the cheating and the lying, the self appointed greatest side in the world got well beaten by a decent pace attack, which wasn't even really at its fearsome best.
In fairness, I am pleasantly surprised by the reaction of most fair minded Australian cricket fans, and by the govt.
I don't think this is some minor petty issue like lifting the seam, or standing on the ball. This was preconceived blatant cheating, and was clearly institutional within the national side.
I think it's appalling.

StringerBell

I think that's a bit hysterical to be honest but sure each to their own.

Another great bastion of ball tampering Atherton has said as much also. His direct quote

"It has gone on since the year dot ... the level of moral indignation is always slightly out of kilter with the offence. If the condition of the ball is changed, you get a five-run penalty and change the ball. That hardly sends the message that this is a heinous crime.

lambayire

StringerBell wrote: »

I think that's a bit hysterical to be honest but sure each to their own.

I understand why you would say that but it's blatant pre-planned cheating.

Sadly the "spirit of cricket" at many levels o the game is long gone.

The playground bullies got caught and I think it's rather funny.

StringerBell

lambayire wrote: »

I understand why you would say that but it's blatant pre-planned cheating.

Sadly the "spirit of cricket" at many levels o the game is long gone.

The playground bullies got caught and I think it's rather funny.

Yes I agree, it's blatent cheating. The spirit of the game is for the most part dead and gone but I was really enjoying this test series between two evenly matched teams with the south Africans edging it and I am glad they did not get away with the cheating. I don't find it funny though I am bitterly disappointed by it as it leads to wider implications that are certainly not worth it for the sake of trying to win a test match.

lambayire

I find it funny only that it was the Aussies who were caught cheating.

And Lehmann wining about the South African crowds was very amusing.

I don't see how he survives this one.

It does make me wonder how the had the ball reversing so much in the Ashes series.
Mind you, they still would have won it.

Royale with Cheese

I'm sure Smith thought he was doing the right thing by coming straight out and admitting it all, and stating it was a group decision and not throwing Bancroft under the bus. But that's the issue now, there's been plenty of ball tampering before, but has a team ever come straight out and admitted it was premeditated cheating decided upon by the captain/senior players? And complete bullshít that Lehmann or the bowlers wouldn't have known anything about this, at least they had the sense to deny that.

Smith's position as captain is untenable, Warner should never be let near the job. They'll both survive as players though, I don't think what they've done in so bad as to cost them their playing careers. A few games on the sidelines at most.