"TrouserGate" - Australian Cricketers Caught Ball Tampering

[QF WP]

This one is measured:
Stop letting the Poms drive the reaction

A lone voice of reason in the ocean with a swiftly flowing outgoing tide.

It’s the same with the reaction to James Sutherland’s performance at two press conferences that left bloodthirsty journalists and cricket fans unsatisfied. Sutherland is weak, they say, a politician.

Or perhaps he was showing great leadership by continuing to not rush hugely-important decisions — or ruin the careers of people his investigators have decided don’t deserve it — in the face of an unprecedented storm of vitriol.

Love this final comment:

A final note: can we please stop using our children as an excuse to take the moral high ground? The sooner they learn their heroes are just as flawed and vulnerable as the next man the better.

My kids know that I'm not perfect and my wife would agree

 

[QF WP]

Here's the thing. The Players thrive on the Social Media. Twitter, Instagram. Not a bad thing necessarily. It raises their profile, probably brings in some lucrative contracts, makes them known as their own brand. But that comes back to haunt them when it all goes to pot. Can you have it both ways?

No, they lived by Social Media, now it's the flip side. Can't have it only during the good times. Time to moderate their reaction and opinion and get down to cricket, to try and put this sorry tale behind us.

 

[Quickstatus]

No, they lived by Social Media, now it's the flip side. Can't have it only during the good times. Time to moderate their reaction and opinion and get down to cricket, to try and put this sorry tale behind us.

Yes but the “Process” is always above that. That’s civil society.
Otherwise we can all live in anarchy.

 

[RoMambai]

Fish rot from the head. I'm stunned Boof has not been sent packing. He's staunch support of repeated Warner transgressions should have meant he was on thin ice before this latest crisis. That he's still there while Smith isn't is an indefensible oversight.

I think the sport is better off without the likes of Smith, Boof and Warner.

 

[QF WP]

They’ve started already (I did see this on TV the other day and took a photo but forgot to post).

 

[drron]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1839639072737002

 

[QF WP]

Richie and plenty of other Australian legends would be turning in their graves to think that the current Australian team cheated.

 

[moa999]

Warnie was luck he didn't play in this era

 

[sjk]

12-month bans for Smith and Warner, according to Jim Maxwell. About right, in my view.

 

[sjk]

I reckon Warner's future will be like Kevin Pietersen’s.

England: Go away and make some runs in county cricket.

KP: 355* for Surrey, including 101 for the 9th wicket and 139 for the 10th, with the #11 contributing five runs.

England, next day: Nuh.

 

[sjk]

And nine months for Bancroft. I have more sympathy for him.

 

[sjk]

World Cup is 30 May to 14 July 2019, so they'll be back for it, but presumably lacking match practice beyond grade cricket... wonder if they can play county cricket?

 

[JohnK]

I reckon Warner's future will be like Kevin Pietersen’s.

This is the perfect time to let him go. We don't need the sledging either.

 

[kpc]

I was shocked by what they did and got caught for, and they deserved to be punished, but 12 months for Warner and Smith, and 9 months for Bancroft is way too excessive. I suspect a legal challenge would be successful based on precedence etc etc....but I guess if they took legal action against CA, and even if successful, they would never be selected for Australia again!

 

[RoMambai]

This is the perfect time to let him go. We don't need the sledging either.

I agree. I'm not sure when it became acceptable to play combative cricket, where it's win at all costs. This team and its coach who infamously described a Sri Lankan bowler who claimed his wicket as a black c@#$ does not represent me.

 

[UP4014]

12-month bans for Smith and Warner, according to Jim Maxwell. About right, in my view.

There are a 1000 others who would love to have a go and don't have to apologize for cheating. The people are paid seriously large bucks and cheaters should be sacked.

 

[TonyHancock]

I think Steve Smith misjudged the whole affair with the press conference. I believe he was attempting to provide some protection for Bancroft and not throw him under the bus. I suspect he felt it was a relatively minor misdemeanour that would disappear pretty quickly - Think Mike Atherton way back in the 1990's.

While finding the affair amusing I can't help thinking the reactions are totally over the top. I find it hard to believe that Richie Benaud was not a dab hand at picking (raising) the seam on a cricket ball. (Yes I know it is not using a foreign object but the outcome us the same.)

This is less about the actual "crime" and more about a world of cricket getting its own back on a side that is considered arrogant. The Prime Minister wading in is highly amusing - always good to stay in the spotlight and pick up a few brownie points/votes by championing Australian sportsmanship. Let's hope John Howard isn't wheeled out to bowl a couple of balls..... (I'm overseas with limited news coverage so has Bill Shorten had his say yet?)

I have some sympathy for Steve Smith, less for David Warner and perhaps a little more for Bancroft - but "that" press conference over the Bairstow head butt tainted him.

How Lehmann is still in his role astonishes me. I would have thought anyone with any integrity would have resigned when his captain and vice captain are implicated and banned. It is ludicrous to suggest that Lehmann is free of blame. That said I suspect it is not the end and we will here more on this.

When I think back to my playing days picking the seam was the way to go and was routine at semi professional level and undoubtedly at county level in the UK. The old pro's would bring it with them into minor counties cricket.

 

[Daver6]

I think the three of them should all never play for Australia again. Even of Boof didn't know about this, he is ultimately responsible for the culture. The same culture where they thought this was ok. Therefore the coach should go to.

 

[sjk]

James Sutherland:

Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft will not be considered for team leadership positions until a minimum of 12 months after the conclusion of their suspension from international and domestic cricket. Any consideration of future leadership would be conditional on acceptance by fans and the public, form and authority among the playing group. David Warner will not be considered for team leadership positions in the future.

 

[sjk]

And the findings:

Steve Smith was charged with a breach of Article 2.3.5 of the CA Code of Conduct based on:

(a) knowledge of a potential plan to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball;
(b) failure to take steps to seek to prevent the development and implementation of that plan;
(c) directing that evidence of attempted tampering be concealed on the field of play;
(d) seeking to mislead Match Officials and others regarding Bancroft’s attempts to artificially alter the condition of the ball; and
(e) misleading public comments regarding the nature, extent and participants of the plan

David Warner was charged with a breach of Article 2.3.5 of the CA Code of Conduct based on:

(a) development of a plan to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball;
(b) instruction to a junior player to carry out a plan to take steps to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball using sandpaper;
(c) provision of advice to a junior player regarding how a ball could be artificially altered including demonstrating how it could be done;
(d) failure to take steps to seek to prevent the development and/or implementation of the plan;
(e) failure to report his knowledge of the plan at any time prior to or during the match;
(f) misleading Match Officials through the concealment of his knowledge of and involvement in the plan; and
(g) failure to voluntarily report his knowledge of the plan after the match

Cameron Bancroft was charged with a breach of Article 2.3.5 of the CA Code of Conduct based on:

(a) knowledge of the existence of, and being party to, the plan to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball using sandpaper;
(b) carrying out instructions to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball;
(c) seeking to conceal evidence of his attempts to artificially alter the condition of the ball;
(d) seeking to mislead Match Officials and others regarding his attempts to artificially alter the condition of the ball; and
(e) misleading public comments regarding the nature, extent, implementation and participants of the plan