***Official*** Australia in South Africa 2018

[MagicPoopShovel]

Haha hilarious!

 

[vicleggie]

South African immigration minister to allow visas for 11 refugees persecuted in own country. #granulefarmers

 

[GotSpin]

Oh my god...

 

[Burgey]

Australia should threaten to go home unless all charges are dropped and an apology issued to them forthwith.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Oh my god...

You all thought he was, he is just a cheat.

 

[vicleggie]

If James Sutherland sweeps this under the carpet he should be sacked as well. Would be totally out of touch with the sentiment of the public. Fans rightfully feel betrayed

 

[Johnners]

Orchestrated by Langer so Mitch Marsh can become captain.

 

[GotSpin]

Was having a belter last night with my phone out battery. Turned it on this morning and it's blowing up

 

[Black_Warrior]

Remember that Smith has history with India (brain fade ), who are by far the most powerful of the big three. Could see them using their ICC clout to come down hard on this as retribution.

Don't see BCCI getting involved here. But I can't wait for the India-Australia series later this year. Kohli gives a send off to pretty much every batsman. Aussie crowd will abuse Kohli and Jadeja. BCCI will threaten CA. That series will make everyone think this and the 2017 Border Gavaskar series were tame and calm.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Awtc.

Z

Listen, the "everybody does it" excuse doesn't wash when it comes to performance enhancing drugs in athletics, and doesn't do it in cricket either. Smith is far more culpable here than the rest on the following grounds:

1) Systematic premeditation among the whole group. This wasn't a lone wolf or one guy going out on his own.
2) Cover up and lying to umpires on the spot.
3) You can at least say using minty saliva is subtle. This is anything but subtle, and therefore is the most obvious form of ball tampering since Afridi biting a cricket ball.
4) Him getting the most junior member in the side - Bancroft to carry out his deed.
5) A press conference admission.

Let aside the fact that the Aussie media have been extremely sanctimonious in the past about others tampering, spot fixing etc, and BS-ing about not crossing the line and playing the game in the right spirit blah blah.

Also, cricket is much more popular in Australia than some other countries and its the national sport. The Australian Test Captain is held in incredible esteem...barely any in England would have even heard of Alistair Cook. The legacy here comes all the way from Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, Ponting, Clarke....and now...Smith.

So there's a Top Cat and a Top_Cat. I've been reading them as one person's posts all along

 

[Burgey]

Don't see BCCI getting involved here. But I can't wait for the India-Australia series later this year. Kohli gives a send off to pretty much every batsman. Aussie crowd will abuse Kohli and Jadeja. BCCI will threaten CA. That series will make everyone think this and the 2017 Border Gavaskar series were tame and calm.

And India will lose 4-0

 

[silentstriker]

And India will lose 4-0

Yeah, but you mean 4-0*.

 

[Shri]

Was having a belter last night with my phone out battery. Turned it on this morning and it's blowing up

are you sure you didn't drop it in the toilet

 

[SeamUp]

Overcast and nippy this morning

 

[TT Boy]

With the admission of guilt, will 5 runs now be added to South Africa’s total and the ball changed? Or can that not be applied retroactively?

 

[SeamUp]

With the admission of guilt, will 5 runs now be added to South Africa’s total and the ball changed? Or can that not be applied retroactively?

The ball wasn't doing anything much and there is only 8 overs left with this ball. You got to assume with them carrying on bowling with the same ball for so long after the incident it won't be changed.

The 5 penalty runs are less clear. I would think that it is still possible.

 

[Bolo]

Is anyone else half-hoping AUS don't catch any bans (ICC or internal) for the next game? It would be nice to salvage as close to a genuine series result as possible. My brain wants heavy sanctions, but my heart just wants good competitive cricket.

In case anyone reads this too literally, I'm not saying there should be no axe- this is serious stuff. But I'd like to see good cricket and a real result.

 

[SeamUp]

To lighten the mood a bit. Oh TPC

Test 1 : #WarnerGate
Test 2 : #ShoulderGate (Still my personal favourite)
Test 3 : #SandpaperGate

 

[SeamUp]

Is anyone else half-hoping AUS don't catch any bans (ICC or internal) for the next game? It would be nice to salvage as close to a genuine series result as possible. My brain wants heavy sanctions, but my heart just wants good competitive cricket.

In case anyone reads this too literally, I'm not saying there should be no axe- this is serious stuff. But I'd like to see good cricket and a real result.

I understand what you are saying. I would like Smith and Bancroft to play next test match but would also understand if they were banned. A test match victory or series victory wouldn't be tarnished for me though. So far I think we have been the better team but obviously quite a bit to do in this test and the series.

Also another factor is how Smith deals with this mentally. The Australian media and cricket fraternity will bay for blood.

 

[Arachnodouche]

They've got to be mentally shot after this. This series is done with.