Smith's Crew in SA

[Jack Burton]

I love the game, my son plays junior cricket, every year we make the trek to Melbourne to see a day of the Boxing Day Test. I can tell you for sure that if Smith and Warner are playing in the next Boxing Day Test I won't be going

[Professer E]

Faf de Plessis is a cheat as well, he didn't get a suspension and showed zero contrition.

Because Bancroft's Australian he'll get a suspension because we're the only country that does anything wrong.  Personnally I'd suspend him, ball tampering is against the rules, although they all do it.... even the saffies.

As for the bloke who followed Warner up the steps.... a greater F###wit I am yet to see, and I've seen just about every variety of flog on this planet.

[crashlander]

I don't know that I've given myself time to think about this, but I feel that I have to say something. Well, more than a few things. It is me, after all, and I tend to write a lot.

[1] Smith and the 'leadership group' have made a serious error. They should be penalized for it. I may not like it, but these guys broke the rules and the spirit of the game and must face some sort of consequence.

[2] It worries me when we do the wrong thing, as we generally don't. We generally hold the upper ground when it comes to morality, so when we fail it does a lot of damage to our arguments. We blame those who do cheat. Well, we've done it this time and we should show what it means to us.
On the other hand, many others seem to consider the rules most elastically. Mr. du Plessis, for example. His excuse is pretty unlikely. If he can prove that he was hacked, well fair enough. But it is simply a statement from him of a very improbable nature.
Mr. Rabada has demonstrated more than once that his unsportsmanlike behavior is part of him. As a result, he doesn't really have a leg to stand on when his conduct is concerned. That decisions can be made that take no account at all of the views of the person on the receiving end is something I find unreasonable and unprofessional at best, simple corruption at the worst.
English pacemen a few years back were caught using lollie to make the ball swing. They succeeded on winning as a result. They cheated and admitted it some time after. Yet the series result was allowed to stand. No consequences at all. Extremely poor.
I won't go into what happens on the sub-continent. The corruption there beggars description.

So, what am I saying? Fair enough. We got caught and should b punished. But does not appear to be the case with others. What is good enough for us is good enough for the rest of them.

[3] That Smith and company instructed Bancroft to do this act is something that bothers me. If they can come up with this stupid idea, then they should have done it, not farmed it off to the most inexperienced payer in the team.

This is a dark period in Australian Cricket and should be seen as such. It just makes me worry that the standards we set, and those set upon us, do not seem to be applied as they should be. It is time that cricket cleaned up its act. This sort of rubbish, in fact, the whole situation as it has come to pass in South Africa, should never have been allowed to occur. It does damage to the image of the whole game.

[Jack Burton]

Who is the Australian Sports Commission?
https://www.ausport.gov.au/news/asc_news...an_cricket
I've never heard a peep from them before that I can recall, despite some pretty heavy stories across a whole lot of sports. Agendas within agendas going on here I suspect

[Lods]

Let's not have talk about the leadership group...there's an intimation there that it's someone else chiefly to blame.
The captain should go down with the ship.
The buck stops there.

[cookie2]

Let's not have talk about the leadership group...there's an intimation there that it's someone else chiefly to blame.
The captain should go down with the ship.
The buck stops there.

Sounds to me like there is a massive problem with the culture of the team and the captain is obviously one of those with prime responsibility. However an extensive review of the team management and leadership combined with some deep soul searching will be needed to fix this. Also, how much of this is reflective of what goes on in the game generally? A very concerning matter for true cricket lovers.

[Lods]

It does bring up an interesting dynamic.
I've never been overly concerned with our salary cap penalties.
I think they were thoroughly deserved.
I hold my club to a high standard...a standard greater than I'd apply to other sides.

I think that there are many who'd feel the same about our National Cricket side.
The penalty needs to be severe.

[Jack Burton]

Why severely punish Australians for ball-tampering when those from other sides (including Captains du Plessis and Atherton) have only got wet lettuce leaf punishments? I think this incident is exposing a deep underlying dislike of Smith (and Warner), why should they be treated differently to others that have committed the same offense previously?

[Lods]

Why severely punish Australians for ball-tampering when those from other sides (including Captains du Plessis and Atherton) have only got wet lettuce leaf punishments? I think this incident is exposing a deep underlying dislike of Smith (and Warner), why should they be treated differently to others that have committed the same offense previously?

I think it's more about us holding ourselves to a higher standard
That's why we're getting the reaction.
I like Smith but I'm disappointed.
I don't care about others.

[flyboy77]

Why severely punish Australians for ball-tampering when those from other sides (including Captains du Plessis and Atherton) have only got wet lettuce leaf punishments? I think this incident is exposing a deep underlying dislike of Smith (and Warner), why should they be treated differently to others that have committed the same offense previously?

THE ICC may well use the sioggy leaf approach.

Cricket Australia simply should sack Smith now.

It's not on.