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

[Senile Sentry]

I think these measures are deliberately on the higher side to cool off the raging public. There will most likely be an appeal process where I think the bans of Smith and Bancroft be reduced. CA has an axe to grind vs Warner so I think his will stay.

I really doubt CA would want to sabotage it's rights negotiations by cutting off the services of its best bat for a whole season.

 

[Spark]

I'm rather irrationally annoyed that Smith will get to protect his average just when it looked like he was entering a genuine slump.

the galaxy brain meme made flesh

 

[Bolo]

Truly, a fine application of the principles of justice when the overriding factor is "who most convincingly grabbed the moral high ground at the right time?"

Not to mention the fact that we don't know if the quote was in whole or part fabricated to convince the public that the coach maintained the moral high ground. Still, I like the thought that swearing can be used as evidence of the moral high ground.

 

[Daemon]

I'm rather irrationally annoyed that Smith will get to protect his average just when it looked like he was entering a genuine slump.

He also looks like the sort that has not much else to do (saw a clip of him saying flying drones was his favourite hobby) so he'll probably spend the year training non stop and come back even better.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Itstl that sledger hasn't made an appearance yet. Banned?

He knows. Not sure why he hasn't posted yet.

Having made my yearly foray into CC over the last few days I can tell you why.

 

[Andy1867]

I think these measures are deliberately on the higher side to cool off the raging public. There will most likely be an appeal process where I think the bans of Smith and Bancroft be reduced. CA has an axe to grind vs Warner so I think his will stay.

I really doubt CA would want to sabotage it's rights negotiations by cutting off the services of its best bat for a whole season.

 

[ankitj]

Can IPL please jump into it's own cesspool of curruption and die.

 

[Burgey]

Jono is badly needed atm. Has he been informed that the **** has been banned for good?

Yes he has. Was chatting with him via David Warner’s least preferred medium when that happened and told him.

 

[SteveNZ]

I suppose they lied because they thought ''tape with bits of dirt'' sounds more innocuous than sandpaper?

They should get an extra year for the sheer stupidity of the tape with dirt defence. Seriously, how lightly would you have to rub a ball on general electrician's tape to not dislodge dirt? That lie stunk from the first minute it came out.

 

[Spark]

They should get an extra year for the sheer stupidity of the tape with dirt defence. Seriously, how lightly would you have to rub a ball on general electrician's tape to not dislodge dirt? That lie stunk from the first minute it came out.

Also pretty a pretty impressive feat to carry a piece of still-fresh tape on the field without it contorting into something that... no longer resembles a still-fresh piece of tape

 

[SteveNZ]

I know Warner's punishment is harsher in terms of he'll never be in a leadership role again (and ****ing hell how was he ever in the first place) but he should've got a much longer skate than Smith. 18 months, miss the World Cup would've been more fitting and one an independent adjudication might've come to. I cannot get over how stupid this guy is. What sort of dumb **** pulls out sand paper in an international match with cameras all over the show? Club players wouldn't do it in the back corner of an oval.

I also feel a bit for Bancroft. Warner put him in an awful position. A junior player in the side, Warner's batting partner, who has a real struggle to be able to say no given the approach is made by his much more senior opening partner and vice captain, for whom Bancroft probably thinks if he says no he'll be ostradized and struggle to be picked again. He certainly doesn't feel like he can say no and report it, leading to thoughts of being a snitch. So Warner has probably killed off his career as well, or at least played a very strong role in it. Cheating, sledging, lying, putting insanely unfair pressure on junior players, completely misusing his position of power and completely disrespecting it...deserved much more than 12 months.

 

[SteveNZ]

Also pretty a pretty impressive feat to carry a piece of still-fresh tape on the field without it contorting into something that... no longer resembles a still-fresh piece of tape

Haha, very true. My efforts at electrician's tape usually end up in them coiled in a ball as they are torn off.

But what we're saying here is it was sandpaper and lied off as being tape? Or they carried a yellow piece of tape as well that was a dummy for the sandpaper (as well as the sunglass case)

 

[Bahseph]

I personally feel that Smith should have been punished along with Bancroft. But CA has really taken this too far. I know it's in poor taste but if Warner really is getting Kp'ed I'd like to eventually find out how long he has been doing this. Those taped fingers of his on this tour have been an issue with me from the time I saw them.

 

[Arachnodouche]

I think these measures are deliberately on the higher side to cool off the raging public. There will most likely be an appeal process where I think the bans of Smith and Bancroft be reduced. CA has an axe to grind vs Warner so I think his will stay.

I really doubt CA would want to sabotage it's rights negotiations by cutting off the services of its best bat for a whole season.

Hey if you presided over the Weetbix company, would you want to be endorsed by someone guilty of cheating lest they were seen to have served an appropriate punishment? More than the public, it's the sponsors who call the shots in this time of image branding.

 

[Larwood's_boots]

I also feel a bit for Bancroft. Warner put him in an awful position. A junior player in the side,

Junior player isn’t the same as junior, he’s 25 for crying out loud.

 

[Pratters]

Every one is saying Steven Smith will be back but who knows. He might announce his retirement and never play again. This would have taken a lot out of him, the embarassment of it all.

 

[SteveNZ]

Junior player isn’t the same as junior, he’s 25 for crying out loud.

You're missing the point. He's a junior player in this side, I'm not saying he's an adolescent. He's more easily influenced to do this sort of thing, someone like Warner can influence more power upon and persuade to go through with it even though Bancroft would probably never do it in a million years at WA or somewhere else he's higher up the rungs. Are we really to believe Bancroft was chosen because he happened to be there at the time like Smith said? Bullshit. Just pure coincidence he's played the least Tests in the side...nah. If a Marsh was there, Warner wouldn't have used them. Warner went to Bancroft because he knew he was the most likely to go through with it given the influence over him that Warner had as VC and opening bat. And wouldn't do it himself, of course old Dum Dum. Weak prick, which we all knew anyway.

 

[Pratters]

Yeah, Smith definitely looks like a extremely weak captain not suited to leadership at all. But then surely you just strip him of the captaincy...?

Would you say the same before the sand paper gate as well..

 

[Larwood's_boots]

You're missing the point. He's a junior player in this side, I'm not saying he's an adolescent. He's more easily influenced to do this sort of thing, someone like Warner can influence more power upon and persuade to go through with it even though Bancroft would probably never do it in a million years at WA or somewhere else he's higher up the rungs. Are we really to believe Bancroft was chosen because he happened to be there at the time like Smith said? Bullshit. Just pure coincidence he's played the least Tests in the side...nah. If a Marsh was there, Warner wouldn't have used them.

Still got to take personal responsibility, knew it was wrong and did it anyway.

 

[Arachnodouche]

It's easy to overlook weak captaincy when the captain is making a mountain of runs.