Baggy Green ball tampering: Bancroft, Smith and the Aussie "Leadership Group"

[StephenZA]

Historically Australia is better. The rest of you need to deal with it. It’s a stone cold fact.

I understand that you all get excited during these short periods of time when Australia doesn’t dominate the game. It’s understandable. But deep down in your coal black hearts you all know shortly everything will go back to its natural order and Australia will be number one again.

It has always been thus and ever will be.

I think in the Aus coal black hearts they truly believe this, and now after so many years in the wilderness, they are starting to feel the pressure that maybe they could be wrong and the sun does not shine out of Aus cricketing asses.....




(Its the BCCI asses now!)

 

[Spark]

How soft are they then if they thought it was a siege mentality over a few taunts from the crowd and a stupid ban being overturned?

I mean, they thought that this was a good idea. That says enough.

 

[Adders]

In the broader pictures yes but it's still against the rules and while that's the case they're still peas of a pod at some fundamental level.

Yep I can see that. I tend to think like Bolo just said how weve got it now is probably right......the umpires let a lot ride like throwing in on the bounce and no one has been charged with missuse of mints, gum zinc cream etc. Yes its technically against the rules but do we really want it clamped down on?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I mean, they thought that this was a good idea. That says enough.

Or alternatively the method they usually use wasn't working so they chose a drastic next step which has backfired.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Yep I can see that. I tend to think like Bolo just said how weve got it now is probably right......the umpires let a lot ride like throwing in on the bounce and no one has been charged with missuse of mints, gum zinc cream etc. Yes its technically against the rules but do we really want it clamped down on?

Wasn't Faf done for a mint?

 

[Spark]

Yep I can see that. I tend to think like Bolo just said how weve got it now is probably right......the umpires let a lot ride like throwing in on the bounce and no one has been charged with missuse of mints, gum zinc cream etc. Yes its technically against the rules but do we really want it clamped down on?

I personally don't, but if we're talking cheating/not cheating then cricketers basically taking the rules into their own hands is by definition cheating.

Perhaps this means we should not reach for the smelling salts every time the word CHEAT comes out sans context, but that would be a level of maturity well above most groups of people numbering above roughly ten.

 

[Spark]

Wasn't Faf done for a mint?

And a zipper I believe.

 

[Adders]

Historically Australia is better. The rest of you need to deal with it. It’s a stone cold fact.

I understand that you all get excited during these short periods of time when Australia doesn’t dominate the game. It’s understandable. But deep down in your coal black hearts you all know shortly everything will go back to its natural order and Australia will be number one again.

It has always been thus and ever will be.

33 Ashes series wins to Englands 32.......yep you're the master race.

 

[michaelm]

Here's what match referee Andy Pycroft had to say about Bancroft:

"To carry a foreign object on to the field of play with the intention of changing the condition of the ball to gain an unfair advantage over your opponent is against not only the Laws, but the Spirit of the game as well," he said. "That said, I acknowledge that Cameron has accepted responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty to the charge and apologising publicly. As a young player starting out in international cricket, I hope the lessons learned from this episode will strongly influence the way he plays the game during the rest of his career."

Hang on...it's not like Bancroft has only played 8 games of cricket in his life. The rules were exactly the same when he was a schoolboy, a grade cricketer, a State cricketer...He's played hundreds of matches over a long long period of time. Now all of a sudden he's gullible, naive or stupid because he's new to playing Tests? Give me a break - if anything, it should be exactly the opposite.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

And a zipper I believe.

Yeah I know the zipper, but he was done for the sweet wasn't he which is where the Warner video comes from and how Aussies would never do that.

 

[Spark]

Here's what match referee Andy Pycroft had to say about Bancroft:

"To carry a foreign object on to the field of play with the intention of changing the condition of the ball to gain an unfair advantage over your opponent is against not only the Laws, but the Spirit of the game as well," he said. "That said, I acknowledge that Cameron has accepted responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty to the charge and apologising publicly. As a young player starting out in international cricket, I hope the lessons learned from this episode will strongly influence the way he plays the game during the rest of his career."

Hang on...it's not like Bancroft has only played 8 games of cricket in his life. The rules were exactly the same when he was a schoolboy, a grade cricketer, a State cricketer...He's played hundreds of matches over a long long period of time. Now all of a sudden he's gullible, naive or stupid because he's new to playing Tests? Give me a break - if anything, it should be exactly the opposite.

You did read the word "international" there right? Take a breath before going on a rant.

 

[SeamUp]

Needs to be done quickly as if players are going to be banned then will they have enough to replace them.

Definitely. Unless they know already they aren't involved on Friday which seems the case.

They sent a head of integrity and someone else first thing.

Sutherland left yesterday.

Saying Wednesday we will hear something confirms 3 batsmen will be missing imo with the test starting Friday.

Rumours surfaced yesterday that Renshaw/Burns could leave the shield final and with Handscomb there that is probably their 3 replacements.

 

[Bolo]

Wasn't Faf done for a mint?

Faf wasn't really done for a mint. He was done for overdoing it on a mint, and making it stupidly obvious he was doing it. You lose plausible deniability when you stick your finger in your mouth. You can tell from the Clarke's comments that AUS were doing it the same match, they were just smarter about it.

 

[Spark]

Handscomb playing can hardly be guaranteed.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Handscomb playing can hardly be guaranteed.

Exactly, after his role in running out to warn them. Might be he gets a CA ban too.

 

[SeamUp]

Handscomb playing can hardly be guaranteed.

Then there may be truth in George Bailey flying out to be captain

 

[Starfighter]

It seems that I've only just realised that they didn't use actual sandpaper, but rather used a bit of tape with crud stuck to it.

A year ban seems minimal just for the shear stupidity.

 

[Second Spitter]

Hang on...it's not like Bancroft has only played 8 games of cricket in his life. The rules were exactly the same when he was a schoolboy, a grade cricketer, a State cricketer...He's played hundreds of matches over a long long period of time. Now all of a sudden he's gullible, naive or stupid because he's new to playing Tests? Give me a break - if anything, it should be exactly the opposite.

if Bancroft didn't tow the company line he'd be back home with Maxwell, Holland and Renshaw. Players will better batting records than his over the summer have been dumped unceremoniously.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Then there may be truth in George Bailey flying out to be captain

Bailey or Paine as captain for the short term might be a good thing, away from the Smith/Lehmann regime and a bit like Pakistan going for Misbah after their issues. Gives the new management team time to train the longer term replacement how to cheat properly.

 

[Spark]

if Bancroft didn't tow the company line he'd be back home with Maxwell, Holland and Renshaw. Players will better batting records than his over the summer have been dumped unceremoniously.

Holland is in the squad.