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

morgieb

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It's only an issue because the penalities towards the three was so heavy handed. I think most people agree that people knew what was going on, but didn't care enough because they weren't the primary parties.

But in any case, I can see why the bowlers would think something was happening without realising what it was. And Smith's first press conference suggested that they didn't say anything because they didn't think ball tampering was a big deal. So it would make sense they didn't speak up, especially because no-one wants a 12 month ban and banning the entire team would've been ugly as ****.
 

Teja.

Global Moderator

Noumenon

U19 Vice-Captain
When I read some of the AUS posters giving one nuanced take after another, I won't lie, makes me misty eyed. I am more used to their ''hard and fair'' takes like ''bhajji is racist whole of aus heard what he mumbled to symonds''.
 

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
It's only an issue because the penalities towards the three was so heavy handed. I think most people agree that people knew what was going on, but didn't care enough because they weren't the primary parties.

But in any case, I can see why the bowlers would think something was happening without realising what it was. And Smith's first press conference suggested that they didn't say anything because they didn't think ball tampering was a big deal. So it would make sense they didn't speak up, especially because no-one wants a 12 month ban and banning the entire team would've been ugly as ****.
Yeah you also need to remember the context of the situation. The last SA tour their team was caught red handed and got off basically scott-free. That kind of thing happening sticks and you start to justify doing that stuff yourself.

I'm almost certain that it was going on in Sri Lanka when Starc became godlike for a tour, but I don't think the bowlers were actually doing it. Most likely Warner was acting mostly independently and they were happy with it happening.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
I understand cricket Australia turning a blind eye to the obvious levels of involvement of Smith and the rest of the team, but it is pretty surprising that even some of the fans are buying that BS. :laugh:
 

Nintendo

Cricketer Of The Year
There's no way the bowlers werent aware, you notice the kind of effects that has on the ball very quickly as a professional athlete. Willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and just assume it was willful ignorance and nothing more sinister for now until further evidence does or doesn't come out.
I understand cricket Australia turning a blind eye to the obvious levels of involvement of Smith and the rest of the team, but it is pretty surprising that even some of the fans are buying that BS. :laugh:
Starcs always been like that tbf, was godlike in the 2020 summer then was clueless vs India. Same with that random Windies series.
 

Dendarii

International Debutant
There's no way the bowlers werent aware, you notice the kind of effects that has on the ball very quickly as a professional athlete. Willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and just assume it was willful ignorance and nothing more sinister for now until further evidence does or doesn't come out.
I think it's entirely possible that the bowlers didn't know exactly what was going on i.e. the whole use of sandpaper, just that whoever was responsible for attending to the ball was doing an effective job.
 

TheJediBrah

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I think it's entirely possible that the bowlers didn't know exactly what was going on i.e. the whole use of sandpaper, just that whoever was responsible for attending to the ball was doing an effective job.
they weren't though. Ball hardly moved off the straight in that game lol
 

morgieb

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I for one believe real change cannot happen until all players in that game are removed from leadership responsibilities. Sack Paine now.
Unfortunately I'm pretty sure Usman was involved in that game, so the only realistic captain option is the copycat.
 

Bolo.

International Captain
they weren't though. Ball hardly moved off the straight in that game lol

In the game that they got the cameras to stop the tampering before effects got too crazy. They caught it early because they saw it in the previous game.

Personally, I prefer to go with the 'if we didnt catch them cheating at the time, they werent really cheating' theory.

I am pretty partisan relative to some of the members here. I typically care a lot more about whether RSA wins than the quality of the cricket. But Aus hooping it was probably my favourite passage of play in any test match, and defs my favourite when my side is getting the snot knocked out of it.
 

Bolo.

International Captain
ps. i relly fing ot difficuly to respond to messagee her. it takes me about a million years to type a message in correct spell

if i am drunk i mean. i normally care aboit stuff like posting ob cticket forums more if drunk
 

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