Sports & Fitness Cheats

You make some interesting and valid points.

Yeah, Faf, Dravid, Tendulkar, Atherton etc have all been found guilty of it. Was it premeditated with them? Who knows, I'd say it quite possibly was. In each of those instances I was disheartened by the punishment given out to the player.

I think it absolutely will define Smith. There is no way he can captain Australia again. Australians will turn away from the game if he does. I don't think it matters what SA, India, Eng etc. have done to cover up their cheating in the past, it doesn't make it okay for Smith to do it. The way the team carries on under him is the worst I've ever seen. Lyon dropping that ball on the SA player after he was given out encapsulates everything wrong with how this team conducts itself.

I disagree that he's one of the greatest batsmen ever. Sure he's got some good stats, but he's playing against the weakest attacks the world of test cricket has seen since the 60s - tracks are flatter, fields are much smaller, bowlers are less skilful and slower. Everything is in favour of the batsman now.

Personally I think an appropriate response in this situation considering everything that has come before, is stripping him of the captaincy and banning him for 12 months. It's the only way to draw a line in the sand. IF that happens it then puts pressure on other countries to do the same in the future. This is a chance for the game of cricket to claw back some integrity.

 

This wasn't another "brain fade"!
Smith, Warner, Bancroft, Lehmann, Saker have to go.
And anybody else in the "leadership team" that is involved. I hope this includes Nathan Lyon.

 

It was premediated, sack them

Anyone watch interview with Smith? The arrogance, stated he would not stand down..... best man for the job
He is not entitled to wear the baggy green, disgraceful and he wont get a choice. People power

More to cone

 

This will have immense repercussions for the game. It will filter all the way down to the little kiddies playing on sat morning, and parents saying I don't want my kids playing a sport like this. Sponsors will be turned off. Media deals will be impacted.

I reckon it will take a generation (10-20 years) to recover.

 

I think there's certainly a broader cultural issue at play, its bringing to boil some of the anger thats been festering for a while. The public's response seems to indicate that too.

Strip him of captaincy (for a while) sure, the brain fade moment deserves that and there appears to be a leadership style thats not working...but he or anyone should note be made to walk from cricket entirely for any extended period of time.

I dont understand why Australia is so keen to vilify and destroy him. There's a massive bandwagon effect going on and unfortunately there's so much hate going around. No idea what the PM is doing getting involved and fuelling it, a bit opportunistic and completely unnecessary.

Smith is an Australian leader thats made a bad choice and took it too far under stress. Since then, his admitted guilt, expressed sorrow and taken responsibility. His acted like an Aussie captain should in the aftermath of his poor choice.

I hope they don't make him give up something he absolutely loves over a careless choice in the heat of battle, one that his owned up to. Simply, i don't think he doesn't deserve that for this particular action. The ICC has taken a measured approach to a fair punishment for the crime committed. Australia's response should stick to facts, not an overly emotional public thats looking for anything to overdramatise in a Facebook/Twitter world.

There's often better ways to help people than destroy them.

Also, perspective will get a bit clearer over time once emotion subsides (time heals most things), what actually happened was Bancroft used some tape to get dirt onto a ball to try and manipulate its condition. In cricket, you can use spit, your trousers, sweat (i think?), even dirt to some degree (naturally). But you can't use tape, lozengers, gum, etc. The Aussies have been shifty and taken it too far. Like Faf, Dravid and other cricketing greats before them.

 

1. Brain fade moment? It was premeditated! haha.

2. Many PMs have gotten involved in Australian Sport over the years. It's nothing new.

3. Had he not done it in the first place, he wouldn't have to act like an Aussie Captain... he would be the Aussie Captain!

4. Smiddy has his chance and he Danny La ****** it. You don't treat the Australian Captaincy that way and expect to continue on in the job. People will forgive him in time, but not as Aussie captain.

5. The ICC is nothing more than a puppet and quite useless. That's been shown to be true over and over.

The sport is desperately trying to sell itself, yet people want it to continue down the road to oblivion by not having the guts to take control when needed. Come on James Sutherland, stand up and take control of the game. Give it back its spirit and soul because it seems nobody from any other country is going to.

 

Manly are getting off lightly for 'cheating' ie a breach of salary caps, yet we condone it? Big financial penalty/points but no-one will lose their job over it.

How do we know that the selection committee weren't paid off to throw the game with a stupid stunt?

 

A few people at Manly have lost their jobs over the salary cap rort - but agree the penalties are fairly soft.

It seems like Smith and co are going to be made examples of and receive excessive penalties.

Bit shocked at the reaction from ex-Test cricketers - there is a reason the umpires check the ball so regularly and it is because everyone is seeing what they can get away with. It must the reasonably recent reverse swing thing that give more of an advantage than the hair gel ever did.

It is not like they had scientific research to develop a chemical to apply to the ball - they just got some dirt and the like from the pitch. I think it is along the lines of being coached to be deliberately offside or wrestle in the tackle - the advantage was going to be slight and sort of within the normal bounds of the game.

 

International Cricket Council

Changing the condition of the ball in breach of clause 41.3 of the ICC Standard Test
Match, ODI and T20I Playing Conditions.
NOTE: This offence supplements and does not replace ICC Standard Test Match, ODI and T20I Playing
Conditions clause 41.3.
Any action(s) likely to alter the condition of the ball which were not specifically permitted under clause 41.3.2
may be regarded as ‘unfair’. The following actions shall not be permitted (this list of actions is not exhaustive
but included for illustrative purposes): (a) deliberately throwing the ball into the ground for the purpose of
roughening it up; (b) applying any artificial substance to the ball; and applying any non-artificial substance
for any purpose other than to polish the ball; (c) lifting or otherwise interfering with any of the seams of the
ball; (d) scratching the surface of the ball with finger or thumb nails or any implement.
The Umpires shall use their judgment to apply the principle that actions taken to maintain or enhance the
condition of the ball, provided no artificial substances are used, shall be permitted. Any actions taken with
the purpose of damaging the condition of the ball or accelerating the deterioration of the condition of the ball
shall not be permitted. (LEVEL 2 offence)

The yellow tape!

 

Cricket was always on in the background of my childhood but then again, so was footy (league & union). There seems to be no ethics or morals in sport now.

 

And the cricket controversy gets more interesting!
It seems that Lyon and Hazelwood are pointing the finger at Warner who in return claims that his fellow NSWmen knew. Warner is supposedly drinking by himself in the team hotel and it's quite possible he's been marked to never play for Australia again.

Obviously take all this with many grains of salt, but that's the scuttlebutt...

 

Renshaw, Maxi and Burns are in.

 

An update from James Sutherland

Dear Australian Cricket Fans,

I would like to provide you with a further update on the situation with the Australian Men’s Cricket Team. We appreciate the concern you have regarding this situation and we wanted to ensure that you received this news directly from us.

I have recently concluded a meeting with the Cricket Australia Board in which we discussed the findings to date of the investigation into the incident in Cape Town. The initial outcomes and actions are as follows:

• Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft have been officially reported for breaching Cricket Australia’s Code of Conduct and will depart the squad immediately.
• The preliminary findings have confirmed that prior knowledge of the incident in Cape Town was confined to only the three players reported.
• Sanctions are expected to be announced within the next 24 hours.
• Tim Paine has been endorsed as Captain of the Australian Men’s Test Team.
• Matthew Renshaw, Glenn Maxwell and Joe Burns will fly to Johannesburg today to join the squad for the Fourth Test against South Africa.

In addition to sanctions for the individuals involved, Cricket Australia will initiate an independent review into the conduct and culture of our Australian men’s teams. The review will be an important step in rebuilding and restoring your pride in our Men’s teams.

Our teams have a responsibility as role models to ensure they uphold the values Australians expect, and to inspire us through the way they play.

Further, the health and welfare of our players and other staff is of the utmost priority. The Team Psychologist is with the team and providing support, while a number of players and staff have family and friends with them in South Africa.

The last few days have provided the strongest of indications of the passion Australians have for cricket and the Australian Men’s Team. Fans have provided a consistent voice regarding their expectations and we have been listening. We greatly value the feedback we receive from the Australian Cricket Family and will take the necessary steps to address your concerns.



James Sutherland
Chief Executive Officer - Cricket Australia

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Guttered for Smith, IMO the length of ban is an insane overreaction and doesn't fit the crime at all.

Can’t believe the severity of the punishment, maybe it’s what the public want. Just strip him of captaincy, but let the man bat & play. His not some serial cheater that has a history of poor behaviour that needs to be taught a massive lesson. His a kid that loves to bat that has represented Australia honourably for years. IMO, its a relatively small error of judgement thats been taken way out of context. We've sold one of our leaders down the river and have made a massive scapegoat out of him. Maybe Aussies can take pride in the punishment, but this type of reaction and 'leadership' isn't something to be proud of (in my humble opinion!).

 

If Smith was on $4-$6 million a year then he probably has saved enough to ease the pain a bit..........

 

My view has changed a bit with the new details that have come out.

Sandpaper is way worse than tape - which also makes the cover up and lies worse as well.

It is really a bad example - I can see it being used at all levels of the game now (but probably not providing any advantage. So the punishment has to work as a real deterent to others.

Penalty is harsh - but I think they will all accept it.

 

Basically Virat Kohli was right in calling him a ...

 

Virat Kohli is as grubby as anyone else ..don't worry about that. He and his team are right up there with Australia in crossing lines regularly... but they operate under the protection of the BCCI who routinely threaten to take their bat and ball and go home if ever they are questioned... Talk about pampered and arrogant.

But to the immediate issue of Cricket Australia's reaction ;

This is the first instance where a player has been caught so blatantly on camera, and using sandpaper. It was a truly "gotcha" moment and it went global, and fast.

People can argue its no different to chewing a mint and then using sticky saliva to shine the ball ... or the same as deliberately throwing the ball into the ground over and over again when returning it to the keeper from the outfield.... but the visual was just very very very different. It just looked so bad. So blatant. So arrogant... I mean, they didnt even attempt to use mints or vaseline in their hair ...they just went for bright yellow sandpaper in front of 30...that's THIRTY High definition TV cameras. ( insert millions of heads shaking - here)

It also came on the back of a couple of tests where the Australian aggression had stopped being borderline and had become well and truly over the line. ... and an Ashes series that was similarly spiteful at times. Yet they continued to insist from high horses that they never ever cross the line and play within the spirit of the game at all times. They let too many ego's go unchecked for far too long , and they literally set themselves up for this fall. Lets face it - this team has been in need of a serious foot up their backsides for many years ... but no one has been willing to do it. The last guy who tried ( Micky Arthur) was sacked..

Warner in particular has been a d*ck for a long time. Great to watch when he is batting well..but just a di*k on the field at all other times. Now he has brought an Australian captain down . Yes, Steve Smith was complicit in not stopping Warner and Bancroft, but at least he didn't generate the idea. That was all on Warner, who then ( by all reports) attempted to deflect and throw other team members under the bus. So he has contributed to the reputational damage to Steve Smith and he has probably ruined the career of an emerging player in Cameron Bancroft, and he's gotten himself offside with the entire team. Quite the mental giant.

Ultimately I think Smith and Bancroft will be forgiven quite quickly and welcomed back when their time has been served, assuming this doesn't leave them mentally fragile and unable to recover their form.... but I'm not convinced Warner will be back. Reports are that he wont be welcome within this team.

RE the comments about punishments being too extreme. perhaps that's more of an indictment about the fact other countries and the ICC are just far too weak to seriously penalise cheaters within their teams. South Africa in particular ought to have sanctioned players for their behaviour throughout this series . India ...England... they have plenty of ball tampering form and shouldnt be throwing any stones.

Anyway, its done now. Really sad all around.


Edit - Its also brought down Darren Lehmann . My guess is that Justin Langer will take over.

 

Just saw Steve Smith's press conference ..... seems to show genuine remorse. Hope he recovers soon.

 

12 months is just a blip in time. Nothing really. A break would probably do more good than harm and actually extend his career by not burning out so quickly. He needs to serve his time, then he will be forgiven and even given some sympathy if he shows geniune contrition. The first interview he gave he was very arrogant and appeared to have no consience . Of course he has since been told what to say and told how to act, but was more concerned about giving his ( as if it is his god given right) place in the team away. He still didnt quiet get that he was representing Australia and its not about him. I doubt that it is the first time he has cheated if he is prepared to do it under close scrutiny suggests to me he has done it before, his body language opposed his verbal languauge when asked if he was involved with ball tampering before with the blinking of the eyes and shaking of the head. Their are other people just as deserving or even now more so, of a place in the team. Personaly I think it is better to lose gracefully, then win disgracefully.