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

[vic_orthdox]

Langer's attitude - eg. treatment of players who aren't part of the WA "cult" - probably wouldn't change much at the top level.

 

[Gnske]

Langer will die for it !

They call him the Grim Reaper in England

Chris Stocks
‏@StocksC_cricket
Following Following @StocksC_cricket
Awaiting CA investigation but from what I’ve heard
Warner 1 year ban
Smith 1 year ban
Lehmann sacked
Entire backroom staff sacked

Can't say i'll be sad to see Gavin Dovey deprived of work

 

[Spark]

Yep this is probably the single worst interview I've seen since big Mal announced his political career.

In fact it's probably worse since this turned a manageable disaster into a full blown nightmare hurricane. I mean it was almost as bad as a Trump tweet it was that disastrous.

Smith does often give off a bit of a vibe in his media work that he's not quite on the same wavelength as many people when it comes to how his words will be perceived vs how he says them, which is why stuff he says that sounds anodyne when you hear him say it (because of his demeanour and tone of voice) takes on a life of its own in print. This is an extreme case though.

 

[vic_orthdox]

I'm not reading through 100 pages of posts, but just wanted to put down a few thoughts:

- there's no doubt in my mind this is the first time that the Australian team has used this method to try and ball tamper. Like, why on earth would you choose yellow tape as the adhesive. The colour of "warning", "attention" - it's just so amateurish that I can't believe that they've been doing this consistently.
- there's also no doubt that they've been using some methods to try and get the ball reversing throughout the series, and probably over the past few years. Chris Rogers used to wear long sleeves in the field as part of his "ball captain" duties, and while Warner has a good alibi for the tape on his hands, I'm sure it was utilised to try and roughen up the ball at some stage.
- Smith's press conference was just ridiculously bad. I can't believe that with an hour between stumps and the press conference that they couldn't determine a better PR strategy.

 

[Starfighter]

I'm not reading through 100 pages of posts, but just wanted to put down a few thoughts:

It's only 39 pages.

 

[stephen]

Smith does often give off a bit of a vibe in his media work that he's not quite on the same wavelength as many people when it comes to how his words will be perceived vs how he says them, which is why stuff he says that sounds anodyne when you hear him say it (because of his demeanour and tone of voice) takes on a life of its own in print. This is an extreme case though.

I genuinely think that he thought by implicating the leadership team he'd take heat off Bancroft and the whole thing would blow over.

If he'd trotted out they same old rhetoric or just declined to answer the press he'd be much better off.

 

[Gnske]

I genuinely think that he thought by implicating the leadership team he'd take heat off Bancroft and the whole thing would blow over.

If he'd trotted out they same old rhetoric or just declined to answer the press he'd be much better off.

But apparently he was trying to take the heat off Warner by dragging Bancroft in there in the first place (?)

I wonder how long, if ever it will be before we get a straight story on just what in the good lords name happened in Cape Town.

 

[Starfighter]

If there's a disciplinary hearing it might come out fairly soon. Maybe.

 

[Spark]

The report is apparently already done

 

[stephen]

But apparently he was trying to take the heat off Warner by dragging Bancroft in there in the first place (?)

I wonder how long, if ever it will be before we get a straight story on just what in the good lords name happened in Cape Town.

Well I think the feeling was (And this is just a guess) that if Bancroft copped it sweet in the presser it would make the situation go away faster.

 

[quincywagstaff]

The reactions are fascinating. I was trying to explain to someone who doesn't like cricket why ball tampering is taken so seriously, but then I remembered that most of the time it isn't taken anywhere near this seriously. I recall the reaction to Afridi biting a chunk out of the ball in an ODI being like, 25% outrage 75% amusement. The Aussie commentators were pissing themselves.

It's like Lehmann and co. have created this ultra-hostile environment where cricket must be taken very, very seriously at all times while making a virtue out of all the enemies they created. And so their ball tampering is met with an ultra-hostile, "this is all very serious" response, exacerbated by all of their enemies lining up to put the boot in. It feels like Afridi cheated because he played the game like it wasn't so important, whereas this team cheat because they play as if the game IS so important.

The thing with Afridi was that it was so blatant and unsubtle it almost made it less of a misdemeanour in a funny sort of way.

For example, with the Pakistan/Hair Test, I recall Raja saying Pakistan were right not to return to the field because of the insult to their integrity. Yet after the Afridi incident Raja was saying that it was no big deal and ball tampering should be reassessed as something to be tolerated!

 

[Spikey]

Langer's attitude - eg. treatment of players who aren't part of the WA "cult" - probably wouldn't change much at the top level.

that and he gets very ~emotional~ when things don't go his way. him getting the job wouldn't be a step in the right direction

 

[Gnske]

that and he gets very ~emotional~ when things don't go his way. him getting the job wouldn't be a step in the right direction

This, he and Lehmann are two peas in a pod when it comes to those cliche Australian cricket values. And from the sounds of things this whole delightful event is probably going to be a catalyst for all that gobbilty gook to be left in the sands of time.

 

[Second Spitter]

Future coach

 

[vic_orthdox]

"Not walking" now cheating? JFC.

If you want to pull up Langer on something, however...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=afQvCaPd4t8

 

[Starfighter]

that and he gets very ~emotional~ when things don't go his way. him getting the job wouldn't be a step in the right direction

Also add in that his stint as batting coach coincided neatly with that period around 2010 where we basically forgot how to bat.

 

[Tom Flint]

Fanie de Villiers going to be on talksport in the next hour

 

[stephen]

Also add in that his stint as batting coach coincided neatly with that period around 2010 where we basically forgot how to bat.

I'm glad someone else remembers.

 

[Spikey]

"Not walking" now cheating? JFC.

If you want to pull up Langer on something, however...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=afQvCaPd4t8

hahahahahhaahha what a ****. this is where they got the idea from clearly!

 

[quincywagstaff]

I guess Langer figured with Brad Williams in the side they needed all the help they can get.