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

[Gnske]

Seriously though, I think I've had my share of laughing at Australia now. Hopefully this overblown reaction dies down quickly.

I think its very fortunate we don't have internationals for awhile after this last test.

 

[stephen]

While all the focus has understandably been on Smith, it's easy to forget how much damage Warner has done to his own career on this tour.

I think the seeds of his downfall began at the start of last year's Ashes where he was talking about how he was boasting about becoming his old antagonistic self and was even saying that referees/umps should ignore abrasive confrontations during Ashes contests and treat them like they do in State Of Origin rugby league series! Really when a side's vice captain has that mindset is it any surprise it can all totally blow up like this?

One would've thought the responsibility of leadership and that imo he was a far more natural leader than Smith would've compelled him to grow up and leave his antagonistic style behind, especially as he'd stayed out of trouble for a few years and his star had continued to rise. Permanent leadership of the T20 side (and possibly the ODI side as well) was just around the corner for him but it's now all turned to dust.

Exactly what I was thinking.

He'd done the hard yards rebuilding the reputation and within the space of a few months he's gone from bad to worse and now his reputation is in tatters. And if the reports are true and he's the primary culprit behind the ball tampering fiasco then he's also destroyed Smith's reputation needlessly as well.

 

[morgieb]

Oh my word do I dread this.















Though I might just take Turnbull over KP.

I'm lucky given I'm based in Sydney (and can go to games etc) that I can generally ignore the PM's commentary. It doesn't have any real purpose even if someone like Howard was PM, for the rest (who have far more limited interest in cricket) it's even sillier.

 

[Shri]

This has been a bit weird for me as a fan of Warner's batting. I have been tracking his batting since he was spotted and given a go by Sehwag in the IPL for DD way back. You ignore and put aside other dickishness apart from his cricket and try to enjoy the talent but he has not been ultra aggressive like he used to be with the bat in a while either so I am indifferent about the individuals involved in this fiasco.

 

[Starfighter]

Exactly what I was thinking.

He'd done the hard yards rebuilding the reputation and within the space of a few months he's gone from bad to worse and now his reputation is in tatters. And if the reports are true and he's the primary culprit behind the ball tampering fiasco then he's also destroyed Smith's reputation needlessly as well.

Someone who proudly posted his dreadful grades on twitter saying effectively *nyah look at me now* is perhaps not going to make such brilliant choices.

 

[quincywagstaff]

Would really dispute that such actions are super popular and demanded by the cricket community, as opposed to a patently transparent attempt to accrue popularity in the bright reflection of something people actually like.

I don't know whether they like doing it but they clearly want to do it and it's not like these functions are integral to the cricketing season.

If Cricket Australia didn't want the PM's XI match, I'm sure they could easily end it (as they did with the Lilac Hill opening match of a tour). No one really cares about notable performances in the match since David Boon scored a ton against the Windies in the 1980s. But it obviously is good for creating connections with the PM and other key political figures and the benefits it brings.

Similarly, as cringeworthy as the PM doing commentary stints is (does any other sport in any other country do this?) it just establishes in the minds of the public that even if you don't like the sport, they know cricket is seen by the establishment as still being the national sport.

 

[michaelm]

Funny, I found a negative review:

View attachment 23966

Hysterical!

 

[vcs]

Andrew Gregory @andrewgregory
Theresa May "shocked" and "bitterly disappointed" by Australia cricket cheating scandal. Spokesman adds: "The Prime Minister is clear that cheating has absolutely no place in cricket or indeed in any sport."

Yeah look this is getting dumb now.

Never knew May cared about cricket. Makes me dislike her a little less now.

 

[vcs]

If he does get a short-ish ban it'll be very interesting to see how the crowds treat him next summer. He might get quite a few boos, and it'll take him a while of putting his head down and scoring oodles of runs without fanfare (so, basically, what he was doing up until the end of last year) to get credit back in the bank.

Crowds are fickle. If he gets a ton in his first couple of innings (and he should, seeing as he'll be facing us), it'll be soon forgotten.

 

[ajdude]

saw an ad on fox sports before i left for work earlier for some ICC 360 show, and the end of the ad had a graphic saying "ICC 360" with whatever day of the week it's on, featuring a picture of Steve Smith which i thought was a tad on the nose. sure enough the same ad just played and now Tim Paine's featured instead haha

 

[S.Kennedy]

Never knew May cared about cricket. Makes me dislike her a little less now.

She is apparently a big Boycott fan.

 

[harsh.ag]

 

[vcs]

They have a Head of Integrity lol.

 

[S.Kennedy]

They have a Head of Integrity lol.

Someone's getting fired methinks!

 

[Spark]

They have a Head of Integrity lol.

I imagine his role as imagined was originally more "We Take Match Fixing Very Seriously Okay See" rather than "oh **** we have to sack the captain"

 

[cricket18]

ca is serious now and what i heard from sources is that smith and warner may get atleast 2 years of ban
http://cricket-18blogspot.in

 

[Daemon]

I imagine his role as imagined was originally more "We Take Match Fixing Very Seriously Okay See" rather than "oh **** we have to sack the captain"

Haha yeah, probably what they call their Anti-Corruption unit head

 

[Larwood's_boots]

She is apparently a big Boycott fan.

Grew up as a young girl in the era of David grower and had a poster of boycott on her wall. If you need a more perfect summation of the young life of one of the architects of austerity, it does not exist.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I think I am done having fun at the expense of Australians. I now want Smith to get redemption eventually and be able to walk with his head held high after whatever appropriate punishment.

Never be able to hold his head high after the way his team have made out they were whiter than white and were cheating all along. He is still a brilliant batsman and the best in the world but holding his head high is something he can't do.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I think its very fortunate we don't have internationals for awhile after this last test.

Which is one reason that CA can take their time here, can not select who they feel needs to be left out this week and hold a big enquiry into this in a few weeks time when the dust has settled and give punishments then. Be it banning Warner, Smith and co from playing IPL, dropping their salary with the CA contract or just banning them for X amount of time.