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

[Johnners]

How the **** that mouthbreather paradise of a radio show is still on the air, years later, especially after what they did to that nurse, is beyond me.

Agreed. Didn't they have form for such scumbaggery re: "pranks" before as well?

 

[StephenZA]

I don't think I would give that much of a let off to Smith and Lehmann; even if they did not always know specifics, it is almost impossible to imagine that nothing went on before this, but a blind eye was turned.... Smith's been caught up and punished to harshly, but that for me is different issue to what was going on within the team which led to this. This story did not start at a lunchtime break purely between Warner and Bancroft, I find that truly unbelievable.

 

[Spark]

Agreed. Didn't they have form for such scumbaggery re: "pranks" before as well?

They put a 14 year old girl on a lie detector test and asked her about her ***ual history (at 14!!!), which prompted her to reveal that she'd been raped.

Sandilands response: "Right ... is that the only experience you’ve had?"

 

[StephenZA]

They put a 14 year old girl on a lie detector test and asked her about her ***ual history (at 14!!!), which prompted her to reveal that she'd been raped.

Sandilands response: "Right ... is that the only experience you’ve had?"

Jesus, can we not discuss such things here.... this thread has got enough **** in it without bringing in stuff that makes my stomach turn.

 

[Flem274*]

They put a 14 year old girl on a lie detector test and asked her about her ***ual history (at 14!!!), which prompted her to reveal that she'd been raped.

Sandilands response: "Right ... is that the only experience you’ve had?"

wat

how does he still have a job?

 

[Spikey]

because australia is extremely cooked

 

[Heboric]

Terrible of Cricinfo to use that image they did of Steve Smith, man click baiting should be up there with murder...

 

[stephen]

what gets me is this first world outrage laying into Smith like he's a killer nonsense is front and centre and in tiny little print at the bottom 'bloke jailed for killing wife and children' then 'drone strikes kill civillians in Mosul' and so on.

priorities much? Ban him for a game or two and move on.

It's easier to be interested in and outraged at things which affect you personally and that you have some control over.

The world's a **** place. Cricket is supposed to be a haven from that and when that bubble bursts it's far more personally affecting than some arsehole you've never met killing his family or some civilians being killed by mistake in a war-torn country that most people would struggle to find on a map.

 

[Bolo]

*** FAF Presser ALERT ***

Du Plessis agrees, New Zealand are the one team "that plays the game in the right spirit."

Steve is one of the good guys, he made a mistake... I do have compassion for what he is going through.

I understand the context of the sanction but I do think it's harsh

I did send (Smith) a text. From a really deep place in my heart I feel for the guy. It's going to be incredibly hard for him over the next few days. He was really good. He appreciated the message. There is a lot of respect between the 2 of us

The fact that Faf, on the receiving end of the tampering can come forward in support after such a bad-blooded series speaks volumes for the level of injustice in the ban. Faf probably hated the guy before the tampering went down.

 

[stephen]

wat

how does he still have a job?

And that's not even the worst thing they've ever done.

 

[Spark]

wat

how does he still have a job?

Apparently they are still the top-rating breakfast radio in Sydney.

 

[stephen]

it's unbelievable that the person who let them do that press conference (in SA after the day's play) hasn't been fired out of a canon yet.

Yeah by far the biggest public damage was done by that presser. Far more than the on-field stuff itself.

 

[Johnners]

I don't at all buy the idea that Warner had somehow been hiding sandpaper with all of the bandaging on his hand. He'd have absolutely no control over potentially damaging the wrong side of the ball at anytime in the general course of fielding if that was the case.

 

[Spark]

I don't at all buy the idea that Warner had somehow been hiding sandpaper with all of the bandaging on his hand. He'd have absolutely no control over potentially damaging the wrong side of the ball at anytime in the general course of fielding if that was the case.

Or indeed his own hand

 

[morgieb]

wat

how does he still have a job?

Because society is ****ed. Radio in Australia is mostly either mediocre comedians (though there are a few genuinely funny ones) or vermin level shock jocks.

Alan Jones is the most popular radio personality in Sydney, remember.

 

[StephenZA]

I don't at all buy the idea that Warner had somehow been hiding sandpaper with all of the bandaging on his hand. He'd have absolutely no control over potentially damaging the wrong side of the ball at anytime in the general course of fielding if that was the case.

You don't have to have it under all the bandages, just under one finger, which you rub the rough side with while polishing....

 

[Spark]

Because society is ****ed. Radio in Australia is mostly either mediocre comedians (though there are a few genuinely funny ones) or vermin level shock jocks.

Alan Jones is the most popular radio personality in Sydney, remember.

Sydney's media environment is pretty ****ed up in general tbh.

 

[Starfighter]

Apparently they are still the top-rating breakfast radio in Sydney.

It says a lot about Sydney.

Yeah by far the biggest public damage was done by that presser. Far more than the on-field stuff itself.

I thought when I found out about this 'how could it be such a train wreck, these guys would have professional media training and guidance'. It's a cluster**** of enormous proportions. To admit to it in a vague manner that implicated a lot of people while being full of lies anyway. Should have given politician's answers or plain ol' said as little as possible.

 

[Flem274*]

And that's not even the worst thing they've ever done.

i'll regret asking won't i?

 

[Burgey]

In any case there isn't that much scope for them to backtrack in a way that looks kosher unless someone appeals, and I reaaaally don't think Smith and Bancroft will.

I spoke with Steve at the airport this evening (we arrived hoe around the same time). We are considering our options.