International Cricket

[littlebabyjesus]

I don't think this will define Smith's career. He's the best bat in the world and it'd take more than this to permanently knock him over. It'll get overlooked with time, same as it did with Atherton, Sachin, Dravid, Broad, half of Pakistan, ... etc etc.

Very sad though, as much for the blatant stupidity of it. A real what the fuck moment.

He won't be Aus captain any more, though, I don't think, not with the noises coming out of CA. They've been hoisted by heir own petard on this one - their history of self-righteousness means they have to act. I also suspect that Lehman is now toast. If he knew about it, he approved of cheating; if he didn't know about it, he'd clearly lost control. (And he blatantly knew about it.)

 

[Reiabuzz]

I read somewhere that CA is currently in negotiations with the Aussie networks for a new tv deal. They’ve apparently been holding them to ransom so nothings yet been agreed. Bet they’re regretting that now going on the reaction of the Aussie public to this.

As to whether it will be swept under the carpet with time, I doubt it. I see parallels here with Mohammed Amir, a talented young cricketer led astray by his dodgy captain. In time he made a comeback, but his captain never did. I’d love to see Warner taken down even more than smith actually.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I don't want to see Smith taken down. As Spy says, he is currently the best batsman in the world. I want to see the best players playing. Warner's a prick, but he's also an exciting player to watch. I don't really want him taken down either tbh. That's why I'm more saddened by this than anything. Certainly not feeling gleeful about it.

 

[Reiabuzz]

Would you really be sad to see the back of Warner? I understand Smith is a loss to the world game, but Warner? Let him fuck off back to the 20/20 circus where he belongs. No great loss to the test world.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Would you really be sad to see the back of Warner? I understand Smith is a loss to the world game, but Warner? Let him fuck off back to the 20/20 circus where he belongs. No great loss to the test world.

Test average 48, strike rate 75. Whatever you think of him as a man, he is a special talent at test level as well as limited overs. Sehwag/Gilchrist-like figures - like them, a player who can change a match on his day.

 

[Spymaster]

As to whether it will be swept under the carpet with time, I doubt it. I see parallels here with Mohammed Amir, a talented young cricketer led astray by his dodgy captain. In time he made a comeback, but his captain never did.

I disagree. Ball tampering isn't taken anywhere near as seriously as match fixing and Butt went to prison, ffs. No comparison there. Smith will lose the captaincy and spend a couple of years on the naughty step.

 

[Reiabuzz]

I disagree. Ball tampering isn't taken anywhere near as seriously as match fixing and Butt went to prison, ffs. No comparison there. Smith will lose the captaincy and spend a couple of years on the naughty step.

It’s not the ball tampering in itself. His opposing captain in this test has been busted twice for that. It was the pre meditation and conspiracy with other senior players and probably management.

If you read the Aussie news sites, well I wouldn’t want to be him when he lands in Sydney. He’s currently public enemy number one and I can’t see a way back for him. I’m actually surprised at how badly it’s gone down in Oz. The country’s in uproar.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I disagree. Ball tampering isn't taken anywhere near as seriously as match fixing and Butt went to prison, ffs. No comparison there. Smith will lose the captaincy and spend a couple of years on the naughty step.

Maximum penalty for ball-tampering is apparently three demerit points and the match fee. I'm quite surprised it's that lenient tbh, but Smith and Bancroft will only miss a couple of matches tops for this.

 

[Reiabuzz]

Maximum penalty for ball-tampering is apparently three demerit points and the match fee. I'm quite surprised it's that lenient tbh, but Smith and Bancroft will only miss a couple of matches tops for this.

There is absolutely no way CA will let him back in the side for quite some time. Purely from a PR perspective.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

There is absolutely no way CA will let him back in the side for quite some time. Purely from a PR perspective.

I agree that he's almost certainly in more trouble with CA than with the ICC. As Spy says though, entirely different from the Butt/Amir/Asif match-fixing scandal.

 

[Reiabuzz]

Ball tampering controversy has broken cricket's 'rich, poetic heart'

But Smith's position as captain in the long term is surely untenable. I expect he will be ostracised by crowds if he attempts to lead this team into the domestic season and face raucous cat calls wherever he goes. The public are not going to forgive this betrayal. And what will broadcasters be saying to Cricket Australia as it presides over a grassroots mutiny against its elite men’s team? The brand is in tatters, when the value of media rights are already tanking.

Interesting to see if he retains his IPL deal. Not going down well in India.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Ball tampering controversy has broken cricket's 'rich, poetic heart'



Interesting to see if he retains his IPL deal. Not going down well in India.

There is a fair bit of hypocrisy in the reactions, though. The biggest problem with what they did really is less the intent and more the idiotic way that they did it. Most ex-pros admit that ball tampering goes on. Imran Khan admitted to doing it with a bottle top.

I'm generally all for throwing the book at anyone caught match-fixing, but if the book is thrown at Smith for this, he will be being made a scapegoat.

 

[Reiabuzz]

On a lighter note, it’s quite amusing watching the Eng/NZ game which given it’s a night test is directly followed on Sky by the farce in South Africa. It’s like stumbling from a friendly warm pub into a grotty fucked up hard house club. Both have their merits.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

95 all out.

Oh dear.

Edit:

Balls overturned on review. (Surprised he reviewed tbh. I might have just marched off.)

 

[strung out]

 

[Reiabuzz]

Apparently there's some footage of Bancroft perhaps doing something similar during the Ashes

 

[Reiabuzz]

Sugar

Is this the moment Australia cheated against England in the ASHES? | Daily Mail Online

 

[Smangus]

If you read the Aussie news sites, well I wouldn’t want to be him when he lands in Sydney. He’s currently public enemy number one and I can’t see a way back for him. I’m actually surprised at how badly it’s gone down in Oz. The country’s in uproar.

It's only cos he got caught and makes them look stupid. They like to cultivate an image of the good honest straight forward Oz bloke but they are pretty ruthless when it come to winning , sledging etc. All bollocks.

ETA - lolololololol!

 

[littlebabyjesus]

It's perfectly possible to excel at sports without acting like a twat. The New Zealand cricket team show that well enough - if ever a team with limited resources maximised its potential, it is the Black Caps. Teams that act like twats normally do so because to some extent they see themselves as, or think they are seen as, or want to be seen as, the Big Boys. Only way to show you're the Big Boys is by playing well and winning.

 

[ruffneck23]

I disagree. Ball tampering isn't taken anywhere near as seriously as match fixing and Butt went to prison, ffs. No comparison there. Smith will lose the captaincy and spend a couple of years on the naughty step.

not even that..

Steve Smith banned by ICC for role in ball-tampering scandal

 

[Spymaster]

not even that..

Steve Smith banned by ICC for role in ball-tampering scandal

That’s just the ICC though. CA will go further than that. Then there’s the shit they’ll be getting from the media and public after formal sanctions are over.

 

[OzT]

Bladdy twats. Words can't describe how embarrased I feel about the whole thing.

I think the whole lot in the ring should be sacked. And what lessons this sends out to all aspiring sportsmen in all sports? Ok to cheat and if you're skipper you'd get away with it? I rather we lose every game than to win by cheating. The fact it has been done before and it is almost accepted does not change my thoughts on our side doing it.

They have let the side down, the country down, himself down and the whole bladdy school down. Also tarnished the wins we have had under him.

Get some pride back Smith and resign.

 

[Teaboy]

Meh. Its in the blood I guess.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

It is funny that the ones most bothered by this are Australians. For the icc it's a minor misdemeanour. To the Australian pm it's a national shame. For that at least I'm pleased it's happened.

 

[Reiabuzz]

Good week for England to bury that utter demolition by NZ. And innings and 49 runs. And that's with the best part of two days ruined by rain.

Tis a shame NZ don't get more high profile tests. It seems to be a constant diet of the same three countries. Highly enjoyable side to watch. Particularly Neil Wagner - he's a machine.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

It is funny that the ones most bothered by this are Australians. For the icc it's a minor misdemeanour. To the Australian pm it's a national shame. For that at least I'm pleased it's happened.

I for one am shocked and appalled to see the likes of David Warner showing less than sportsmanlike behaviour. Who would have thought it.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Good week for England to bury that utter demolition by NZ. And innings and 49 runs. And that's with the best part of two days ruined by rain.

Tis a shame NZ don't get more high profile tests. It seems to be a constant diet of the same three countries. Highly enjoyable side to watch. Particularly Neil Wagner - he's a machine.

Wagner is a very singular cricketer. He has none of the attributes of a great bowler. He's short. He's not very quick. He doesn't really swing it. He races in over after over and bangs in half-trackers at low 130 ks. It really shouldn't work, but it has done often enough now not to be a fluke. He has an excellent test record - players keep getting out to him.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I for one am shocked and appalled to see the likes of David Warner showing less than sportsmanlike behaviour. Who would have thought it.

Dumped in it by Smith as well, with his 'leadership group' spiel. Post-press conference it was decided that he was just talking about himself and Warner, to avoid dumping even more players in it.

They've been rather thick about every aspect of this so far.

 

[Reiabuzz]

Just seen this from Jim Maxwell:

You get a bit emotional about it, and that’s not trying to sound over the top,” he told the BBC. “Cheating in sport, certainly in Australian culture, is an absolute no-no. For me, the stupidity and the ignorance of these guys not to think that ‘we’re doing the wrong thing, let’s cut this conversation straight away’ - they obviously haven’t thought about the consequences and the magnitude of what they’re doing. This incident, I think someone has said before, is one of the darkest days in Australian cricket.”

Fucking hell. Clearly he's not watched much Australian sport.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Just seen this from Jim Maxwell:



Fucking hell. Clearly he's not watched much Australian sport.

I like Jim Maxwell a lot, but this is part of the absurd over-reaction in Aus, which is due to this rather ridiculous and massively hubristic self-image. We don't cheat in sport, but we don't walk when we've nicked it? Don Bradman was one of the worst for that, kidding the umpire that he'd missed it. It's never been true.