Australian Cricket Team admit to ball tampering

Accept said:
Any squad that involves Boof, Smitty and Warner will do whatever it takes to win. They are the guys who feel the heat when the team struggles and just because they are Aussies doesn't make them any more honest than the next guy. They tried to gain a slight advantage by scratching on the ball. Has there ever been any proof that this actually works? It certainly hasn't been proven in this match as De Villiers chases another century and the Aussies headed for a huge defeat.
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Anything it takes including cheating
 
Accept said:
Any squad that involves Boof, Smitty and Warner will do whatever it takes to win. They are the guys who feel the heat when the team struggles and just because they are Aussies doesn't make them any more honest than the next guy. They tried to gain a slight advantage by scratching on the ball. Has there ever been any proof that this actually works? It certainly hasn't been proven in this match as De Villiers chases another century and the Aussies headed for a huge defeat.
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At the end of the day it's cheating and it's not in the spirit of the game. They didn't scratch the ball, they rubbed the adhesive from tape onto one side of the ball. Smith, Warner and whoever else was involved should just accept defeat and take it like a man, not try cheat and bring shame of one of the greatest cricketing countries in the world. The fact that they were doing it to achieve an advantage says it all and none of them deserve to be defended
 
It’s a bad look, but it’s funny seeing sub continent fans attempting to bury Smith. Wasn’t faf recently accused of tampering as well? Vaughan melting down after it was confirmed that the England team in ‘05 ‘legally’ tampered is also classic.

edit: You can’t just instantly hand out career death sentences to blokes, like people ITT and in the media are demanding. Once it’s done it can’t be undone: we have to let the process take place first.

This is also an issue with the Aus cricket team culture. If you aren’t one of the boys your career is done and dusted (Maxwell, SOK, Hodges, etc etc).
 
Battler said:
It’s a bad look, but it’s funny seeing sub continent fans attempting to bury Smith. Wasn’t faf recently accused of tampering as well? Vaughan melting down after it was confirmed that the England team in ‘05 ‘legally’ tampered is also classic.

edit: You can’t just instantly hand out career death sentences to blokes, like people ITT and in the media are demanding. Once it’s done it can’t be undone: we have to let the process take place first.

This is also an issue with the Aus cricket team culture. If you aren’t one of the boys your career is done and dusted (Maxwell, SOK, Hodges, etc etc).
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Faf having a lolly in his mouth isn't the same as a meeting at lunch time and a plan to cheat involving the coach.

SOK that guy that gets banned and arrested every 5 weeks? Hard to believe he can't stay in the team.
 
roo-ted said:
At the end of the day it's cheating and it's not in the spirit of the game. They didn't scratch the ball, they rubbed the adhesive from tape onto one side of the ball. Smith, Warner and whoever else was involved should just accept defeat and take it like a man, not try cheat and bring shame of one of the greatest cricketing countries in the world. The fact that they were doing it to achieve an advantage says it all and none of them deserve to be defended
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They did scratch the ball. You put pitch dirt all over the tape and then rub it on there. It's like sandpaper.
 
Unbreakable said:
Agree with you two guys, it's an awful look, not a minor incident.

The more I think about it though, I'm not sure removing Smith's captaincy is the answer, whoever replaces him is just as likely to have been involved in the decision to cheat as well, and we'll be in exactly the same situation except with a proxy captain. If I were in charge, I'd axe Lehmann, suspend Bancroft for 12 months, suspend Smith & Warner for 5 tests or something.

Draw a massive line in the sand, but retain the possibility of us actually having a good team once the punishments have been served, I really don't want a team captained by Khawaja or M.Marsh or some shit.
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I don't think five Tests sends a massive message at all.
 
Accept said:
As usual, this is being overblown by the media. Yes, it is cheating and yes, a minor penalty should be imposed but on the serious scale, this ranks as a 2/10. Cricket has allowed match and spot fixers to return to the game and cricket's reputation is tarnished by it's past and current shady dealings. Altering the ball which probably doesn't work anyways (or marginally) is a minor offense and should be treated as such. Faf, Atherton, Waqar, Wasim etc have all done it, the crime doesn't all of a sudden become more serious because the Aussies are participating in it.
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Amir also did a five year ban and jail time before he was allowed back. You can't pick an incident from 30 years ago and say Atherton was only fined $3500 so that's still the punishment.

Beetson used to elbow people in the face. Can't do that anymore.
 
1910 said:
They did scratch the ball. You put pitch dirt all over the tape and then rub it on there. It's like sandpaper.
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You sound experienced in this lol. Either way, absolute grub act. Especially letting the young fella do the dirty work then making him explain himself in the conference
 
So pissed, I had to explain this to the missus and kids what they had done.

My young fella only started playing this year and actually watching it with me.

I can handle losing, but I can’t stand the leadership group making a plan to cheat and getting the newest unestablished player on the team to do it. Then just flippantly admitting to it.

Then we have Sutherland who hasn’t spoken to Smith, like fucking wake him up and rip him a new one.

The culture is shit and needs a clean out. Warner and Smith are fucking children.

Clarke putting his hand up for a comeback can **** off as well
 
Sorry Accept Accept but this is completely unacceptable. Couldn’t care less what other sides have or haven’t done, what punishments they have and haven’t got.

This is the Australian cricket team, they are extremely well paid, very well supported and absolutely looked up to. They also just seem so dismissive of it, like it’s not a big deal. It absolutely is and they are an utter disgrace.

If involved, Lehmann should be sacked, Smith and whoever else involved suspended for 12 months and Smith should definitely lose his captaincy.

This is really big and an example needs to be made of everyone involved, couldn’t care less if that means a less talented group needs to is forced to turn out. They need to work their butts off to show this is not a symptom of an overall cultural problem.

When does the fourth test start? These guys involved should be forced to pay the airfares and associated costs of everyone who replaces them after being suspended.

I will say that I do feel sorry for Bancroft, he was caught between a rock and a hard place being put in such a vulnerable position. Suspend him for 6 months.

What an absolute bunch of jerks to spit on the legacy that great side has. Won’t be sad if none of them involved ever play for the team again.
 
Browny said:
So pissed, I had to explain this to the missus and kids what they had done.

My young fella only started playing this year and actually watching it with me.

I can handle losing, but I can’t stand the leadership group making a plan to cheat and getting the newest unestablished player on the team to do it. Then just flippantly admitting to it.

Then we have Sutherland who hasn’t spoken to Smith, like fucking wake him up and rip him a new one.

The culture is shit and needs a clean out. Warner and Smith are fucking children.

Clarke putting his hand up for a comeback can **** off as well
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Well said mate.
 
Only way forward is hard line and then support them to fix underlying issues. This kind of crap doesn’t just come up because of one bad lunch idea. Must be massive group think mentality to think that kind of stupidity can be gotten away with in front of 20 tv cameras, as many photojournalists and every spectator with a camera in their pocket. That’s ignoring the moral aspects and someone speaking up.

Makes you wonder about the rest of the culture and whether guys like maxi are victims of it. If it’s jobs for the boys of course Bancroft had to do it.

I would consider (depending on further facts that may emerge).

Smith 6 month or 5 test whichever is greater ban, lose captaincy (he owned up so half of what I was thinking). 500 hrs community service. Loss of all your payments and contract payments for period of suspension. If plays IPL bam continues till all time off cricket counted.
Warner same and lose vice captaincy.
Bancroft 6 months (was tempted for more for lying but young bloke probably panicked).
Lehman has to go if he was radioing about that (depends on culpability). If didn’t know then need at a full review into the culture he is laying down.
Whole squad should forfeit all match and tour fees. Don’t care if they knew or not. It’s a team culture. Also 200 hours community service each.

Also need to have a look at the support staff and where they were in this.

Sending Howard to investigate... isnt there something about lunatics running asylums.
 
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The bigger picture is the various boards around the world including icb not enforcing strong enough discipline in the last few years.
The platform has been laid through their inaction and soft options .
Time to start using a big stick .

I'm embarrassed with this situation and ashamed of the Australian cricket side.
 
Australia captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner have stood down from their respective leadership roles for the remainder of the third Test in Cape Town.
Wicketkeeper Tim Paine will act as captain at Newlands, with both Smith and Warner set to take the field on Sunday.
 
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