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

[Borges]

It's a little sad how all this ended up because while Warner had a terrible reputation he was trying to correct some of his behavior like you've said.

Victim of circumstances.

Back to back series, first against the whingeing cheating Poms and then against the whingeing cheating Saffers, is enough to turn any good man into a raving lunatic.

In the series against the non-whingeing non-cheating Indians, Warner's name was in every list of the most bell behaved players. From both teams.

 

[Burgey]

Victim of circumstances.

Back to back series, first against the whingeing cheating Poms and then against the whingeing cheating Saffers, is enough to turn any good man into a raving lunatic.

In the series against the non-whingeing non-cheating Indians, Warner's name was in every list of the most bell behaved players. From both teams.

Warner didn't play in 1947-48 mate.

 

[Victor Ian]

So true. I think it speaks volumes that most people speaking out against the Aussie's state the problem is about the hypocrisy. They all know they are filthy cheats but it's OK so long as you don't state otherwise.

 

[Senile Sentry]

Lol Ponting. Of all men.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Punter thinks the culture is hunky-dory

Criticism of Australia team culture out of proportion - Ponting - ESPNcricinfo

Is he going to say it? Yup

"As Australians, we like to play the game hard, we like to play the game fair. Our fans expect the Australian player to play that way.

 

[Top_Cat]

One of the differences between Faf's and Australia's was how the team reacted. In the press conference with Amla the whole team (hilariously) stood behind him to "show solidarity" and a "united front" to defend what was clearly Faf cheating. In Australia's case it appears people were turning each other. Says a lot of about the culture imo.

Yeah it does, that both are problematic.

 

[Daemon]

One obviously more toxic than the other

 

[Starfighter]

Is he going to say it? Yup

"As Australians, we like to play the game hard, we like to play the game fair. Our fans expect the Australian player to play that way.

*sigh* I really don't get the supposed exceptionalism of Australian cricket. It implies that somehow other cricket cultures are much more tolerant of cheating or 'unfairness' or don't play as hard or whatever. Sure some may accept certain things that are against the rules (ball tampering being a big one, it continued and continues long after it was outlawed), but is outright general grubbiness really accepted anywhere? It really is a bubble view, and it looks like people are still trying to un-burst that bubble.

 

[Victor Ian]

One obviously more toxic than the other

looks like a job for the Toxic Avenger!

 

[Neil Young]

Is he going to say it? Yup

Aussie cricketer press conference bingo.

 

[Borges]

As Australians, we like to play the game hard, we like to play the game fair. Our fans expect the Australian player to play that way.

Steven smith's big mistake was that tragic press conference. Why, oh why, didn't he have the sense to say, as every Australian captain before him would have said: 'What you saw in our rookie's hand was the Australian flag that we always carry to remind ourselves that "as Australians, we play the game hard, we play the game fair". It looked yellow only because of the colour distortion introduced by the cheating SA TV cameras. We tried to hide it because people from other inferior cricket playing nations, who, may I point out, do not play hard and do not play fair, are not worthy enough to even see this great flag'.


The Aussie media and fans would then have joyously sung paeans about the greatness of their cricket team, CA would save treasured clips from the press conference to be broadcast during every home test match, children who saw those clips would have been overwhelmed by the grandeur of their cricket team, and we could all have continued to live happily for ever after.

 

[Burgey]

Should just go back to a culture of preparing fast, bouncy decks and bouncing the **** out of everyone. They were the glory days imho.

 

[StephenZA]

One of the differences between Faf's and Australia's was how the team reacted. In the press conference with Amla the whole team (hilariously) stood behind him to "show solidarity" and a "united front" to defend what was clearly Faf cheating. In Australia's case it appears people were turning each other. Says a lot of about the culture imo.

The only issue that was with the 'sweet' issue was the context... Faf and Philander copped their points on the other incidents, rightly so.

But it was obvious that generally the sweets in mouth was seen by everybody as just part of being on a cricket field, same as the suntan lotion etc. And just a few months previous Kohli (I believe) and one or 2 others had been seen doing the same thing. So the whole solidarity behind Faf was more to do with... 'why am I being targeted', when it is generally an accepted practise and other players have been seen doing it? Of course that did not change his guilt by the rules, but if you are going to punish Faf where is the consistency on punishing others? That was the fight CSA and the team took up, he never denied having a sweet in his mouth. Of course this stopped nobody from taking sweets onto the field and wearing suntan lotion etc. since.

 

[Burgey]

He carried on like a spoilt brat. The whole team did.

 

[StephenZA]

He carried on like a spoilt brat. The whole team did.

They were pissed off because they felt that the Aus media (much like this incident) blew it out of proportion and were being targeted unfairly... of course they could maybe have handled it better but that is just about true always in these situations.

 

[Burgey]

Nah he carried on a ridiculous amount. Was pretty disappointed in him tbh, regardless of how dumb the sanction was

 

[StephenZA]

Nah he carried on a ridiculous amount. Was pretty disappointed in him tbh, regardless of how dumb the sanction was

I know I was fully behind him... and I think that it had a lot to do with feeling targeted (a bit of a chip on the shoulder), the good old big 3 getting away with it, while the rest of the teams are forced to live by a different set of rules. I still do think that if that sweet issue happened in any other country but Eng or Aus nothing would have or been made of it...

 

[Borges]

I still do think that if that sweet issue happened in any other country but Eng or Aus nothing would have or been made of it...

"We like to play the game hard, we like to play the game fair."

May be fair, but stuffing your mouth with some cloyingly sweet glutinous stuff, and then smearing that icky goo all over your hands can hardly be called playing the game hard.
Now, sandpaper: that is what real men use; that is hard. Try that next time, and there would be a lot less complaints.

 

[Zinzan]

Should just go back to a culture of preparing fast, bouncy decks and bouncing the **** out of everyone. They were the glory days imho.

Why when Australia have had their best Test cricket results in the last 5 years or so on flat pitches at home anyway?

The only side who've dominated you at home in this time have been South Africa, & they'd be the last side you'd want to prepare fast, bouncy decks against.

 

[Burgey]

That might be the case against SA but against everyone else we should make them as fast and bouncy as possible. Bring some physical fear into it.