***Official*** Australia in South Africa 2018

[Victor Ian]

This is one way for Steve Smith to ensure he finishes with an average over 60. Saved his captains average from dipping below 70 as well.

What a load of crock regarding the bowlers crying they weren't part of it. They bowled with the ball - they knew exactly what was going on.

Bloody cheating New South Welshman. This kind of **** doesn't happen when you have a Victorian in the team.

 

[morgieb]

This is one way for Steve Smith to ensure he finishes with an average over 60. Saved his captains average from dipping below 70 as well.

What a load of crock regarding the bowlers crying they weren't part of it. They bowled with the ball - they knew exactly what was going on.

Bloody cheating New South Welshman. This kind of **** doesn't happen when you have a Victorian in the team.

Instead we get drug cheating and giving information to illegal bookies.

 

[Furball]

Apparently Starc and Hazlewood are part of the leadership group, and were unhappy to be mentioned by Smith

I'm not convinced by their protestations.

What fast bowler doesn't know what's being done to the ball?

 

[Victor Ian]

This is a nasty situation. I don't think anyone is absolved because all it would have taken is for one of the so called innocents to stand up and refuse to partake and it would not have happened. They may not have scratched the ball but they are all complicit.

Australia is up **** creek.

 

[Victor Ian]

Instead we get drug cheating and giving information to illegal bookies.

That is other kinds of ****.

 

[Second Spitter]

Amazing how Bad Hands has been magnanimously silent on this event.......

 

[stephen]

If you had have told me six months ago that:

Smith would be banned
Paine would be captain
M Marsh would be vice captain and one of our most consistent batsmen
Cummins would play 10 consecutive tests; and
Australia would be caught blatantly ball tampering

I'd have looked at you like you were a blithering idiot.

It has the same feeling as 2016.

 

[Senile Sentry]

Lol at the leadership group. Apparently they need 5 to govern the remaining 6. Sounds like some professional management consultancy BS.

It is also suggestive of some authority issues with Smith. I suspect there would be any such thing had it been Taylor or Waugh or Border or even Ponting the captain. Looks like Roadman is insecure in his leadership and to dilute the Warner factor, has opted for a wider "leadership" base, and also to propitiate potential dressing room disruption.

Mitchell Marsh looks like the long term captaincy option but I am not sure he's yet ready for it. As it stands Aussies might need a Greg Chappelish authoritarian coach more than ever than a matey Lehmann (at least till they find a strong captain).

 

[Quaggas]

Morne, wag, champ, sorry about all the BS distractions

 

[StephenZA]

This Test and even series sums up Morkels career in many ways, his best figures, MoM award and hardly anybody notices.... with all the good and hard work done by him becomes second fiddle once again to somebody/something else. Well done to a great servant of the SA team and game. Hope to see you at Wanderers to give you a proper farewell...

 

[Quaggas]

A class act

 

[S.Kennedy]

This is a nasty situation. I don't think anyone is absolved because all it would have taken is for one of the so called innocents to stand up and refuse to partake and it would not have happened. They may not have scratched the ball but they are all complicit.

Australia is up **** creek.

I know of at least one senior player who is outraged that they have been dragged into the dirt by association without having been involved at all.

- Gillespie

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/mar/25/steve-smith-must-go-australia-jason-gillespie

 

[vcs]

Tbh, I haven't watched a single ball of this match. Controversy aside, how was Morkel's bowling? Seems like his achievement will be, obviously (and rightly) overshadowed.

I feel sorry for him. For once, he was the wrecker-in-chief, in his farewell series, and still he can't enjoy the limelight.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I feel sorry for him. For once, he was the wrecker-in-chief, in his farewell series, and still he can't enjoy the limelight.

As good in this game as he was bad in the first test.

 

[vcs]

This Test and even series sums up Morkels career in many ways, his best figures, MoM award and hardly anybody notices.... with all the good and hard work done by him becomes second fiddle once again to somebody/something else. Well done to a great servant of the SA team and game. Hope to see you at Wanderers to give you a proper farewell...

I didn't read this post before essentially repeating the same thing.

 

[S.Kennedy]

''Morne Morkel? Did he just play a cricket match or summit?''

 

[Starfighter]

In many year's time from now we will see that Morkel took 300 test wickets and muse over the fact that no-one even noticed at the time.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

In many year's time from now we will see that Morkel took 300 test wickets and muse over the fact that no-one even noticed at the time.

Lyon got to 300 in same game and nobody cared.

Feel for both in a way.

 

[cnerd123]

Are you kidding?

Years from now when people discuss this saga, the fact that Lyon and Morkel crossed 300 wickets in the Test will constantly be added on as a footnote by hipster cricket fans who want the world to know that they care about the bowling achievements of two very forgettable ATVG bowlers.

We won't hear the end of it. Their achievement will be mentioned decades from now, while no one ever talks about the day Lance Gibbs or Bob Willis crossed 300 wickets. These guys did a Lyon and Morkel a massive favour IMO.

 

[Senile Sentry]

Morne was outstanding in the match - probably the best I have seen him bowl in a long time. Make no mistake, the issue or not, most batsmen would have struggled against his spell in the second innings. Although he got a bit carried away by the trampoline effect towards the end.

And to be fair, Morne really came to his own only in the last 3-4 years, more precisely under Amla, then De Villiers and thereafter under Du Plessis. Du Plessis in my opinion got the best out of him. Another reason for his under-rating could be his largely average performances against the two most media-influential cricketing nations, Eng and Aus.