International Cricket

[Teaboy]

I'm a bit at odds with most opinions - I think it's quite conceivable Lehmann may not have known, but bollocks to the bowlers not knowing

The only scenario I can think of where the bowlers were not involved nor the coach is if the batsman took it upon themselves to try and get the ball changed because it was in such bad condition. I still think this is highly unlikely. The best that can be said about Lehman is he knew but turned a blind eye.

If he honestly didn't know what kind of a set-up is he running there? He should resign for being clueless in that case.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

If he honestly didn't know what kind of a set-up is he running there? He should resign for being clueless in that case.

Exactly. He's done either way. Surprised he hasn't resigned already, tbh. I guess he wants them to sack him instead in a way that gets his contract paid off.

 

[Teaboy]

So a year of lucrative 20/20 awaits for Smith and Warner. Bancroft can probably get himself an English county for the summer, probably do him good given the next ashes is over here.

Smith will be back, he's young enough and seems to be well liked. I think Warner will follow the Pieterson exile path of 20/20 mercenary and will no doubt retire with a very healthy bank balance. I wonder if we'll see either of Smith and Warner over here in the summer?

ETA: Is outstandingly average wicket keeper Tim Paine really their new full time captain?

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Not so lucrative. They earn more from IPL than all the other leagues put together, and they've both been banned from this year's edition. How much will be bid for them next year, when they've just come back from an international ban?

If either of them is serious about playing for Australia again, they would be wise to do as suggested by CA by spending a decent amount of this lay-off playing club cricket, and perhaps doing some coaching of kids.

I do actually think they've been scapegoated a bit by these bans.

 

[Casual Observer]

Bancroft has already signed to play for Somerset this year. That was agreed at the end of last year before the SA series.

As for the coaching of kids, that's already written into the punishments handed down by CA - 100 hours of 'voluntary service in community cricket' for all three players.

 

[Teaboy]

Not so lucrative. They earn more from IPL than all the other leagues put together, and they've both been banned from this year's edition. How much will be bid for them next year, when they've just come back from an international ban?

If either of them is serious about playing for Australia again, they would be wise to do as suggested by CA by spending a decent amount of this lay-off playing club cricket, and perhaps doing some coaching of kids.

I do actually think they've been scapegoated a bit by these bans.

OK I'm a bit confused. I assumed the ban is by CA so that would mean any Cricket match where CA is the ultimate governing body so that would include club matches I would have thought? Who has banned them from the IPL? Can CA do that? Is it to do with Central contracts or something?

 

[Teaboy]

Bancroft has already signed to play for Somerset this year. That was agreed at the end of last year before the SA series.

As for the coaching of kids, that's already written into the punishments handed down by CA - 100 hours of 'voluntary service in community cricket' for all three players.

'Community service?' Fuck that who do CA think they are? If I was Warner I'd tell them to sling their hook and just go play 20/20. I'm beginning to side with the players. Scapegoats seems apt.

 

[Casual Observer]

OK I'm a bit confused. I assumed the ban is by CA so that would mean any Cricket match where CA is the ultimate governing body so that would include club matches I would have thought? Who has banned them from the IPL? Can CA do that? Is it to do with Central contracts or something?

The BCCI, not CA has banned Smith and Warner from this year's IPL. CA has banned them from playing for Australia for 12 months but 'encouraged' them to play club cricket. Don't think Bancroft had an IPL contract but does have the aforementioned Somerset contract.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

who do CA think they are?

People who have been paying Smith and Warner more than a million quid a year, and who were held to ransom for even more money by the players last year?

I think they've been scapegoated, but they are paid a fortune and they signed a document saying that they wouldn't do this kind of thing.

I both think they've been scapegoated and have very little sympathy for them.

 

[Teaboy]

People who have been paying Smith and Warner more than a million quid a year, and who were held to ransom for even more money by the players last year?

Yeah the same dicks that have happily been turning a blind eye for a very long time and now come out with this faux outrage? Held them to ransom? Do we not support strikes here any more? That being said I always had Warner down as one of the ringleaders. Anyway if I was Warner I'd just quit and spill the beans, I really hope he does.

I both think they've been scapegoated and have very little sympathy for them.

Yup, agreed.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Yeah the same dicks that have happily been turning a blind eye for a very long time and now come out with this faux outrage? Held them to ransom? Do we not support strikes here any more? That being said I always had Warner down as one of the ringleaders. Anyway if I was Warner I'd just quit and spill the beans, I really hope he does.




Yup, agreed.

The pay dispute last year was dishonestly handled by the very top players, imo. The top players made out that they were standing in solidarity with their much less well-paid colleagues, but they weren't really doing anything of the sort. If you look at the detail, they were holding on for a deal that guaranteed a bigger percentage of CA income for the elite players (rather than being spent on other things like grassroots development - it's not quite the same as negotiating with a profit-making company). And the way they did this, basically by claiming that they are the reason CA has so much money so they deserve more, was pretty low. This was a group of already very well-paid people demanding an even bigger slice of the pie.

 

[butchersapron]

The somerset contract is not writ in stone and the club seem to preparing the ground for its cancellation in my reading.

 

[Reiabuzz]

The BCCI, not CA has banned Smith and Warner from this year's IPL. CA has banned them from playing for Australia for 12 months but 'encouraged' them to play club cricket. Don't think Bancroft had an IPL contract but does have the aforementioned Somerset contract.

They've not been banned. They're just not captains anymore afaik.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

They've not been banned. They're just not captains anymore afaik.

No, they've been banned now for this year.

 

[Spymaster]

Banned for a year.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Yeah the same dicks that have happily been turning a blind eye for a very long time and now come out with this faux outrage? Held them to ransom? Do we not support strikes here any more? That being said I always had Warner down as one of the ringleaders. Anyway if I was Warner I'd just quit and spill the beans, I really hope he does.

Warner's 31, a year out of international duty at this point could well mean he won't ever make it back into the side. If he makes the same calculation and thinks he's got nothing much to lose then he might start throwing people under the bus.

 

[Reiabuzz]

No, they've been banned now for this year.

Oh dear. How expensive was that little conversation that happened in that dressing room. I do actually feel sympathy for Smith if the narrative is true.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

It is the gift that keeps on giving, I must say.

"What the fuck is going on?"

The words that have (for now) apparently saved Darren Lehmann's job.

 

[planetgeli]

Vaughan on Twitter.

“Steve Smith is a good guy who made a huge mistake...needed punishing but this is too harsh. Bancroft I don’t know but was led astray, needed punishing but again too harsh. The other guy I don’t really care about.”

 

[Teaboy]

Warner's 31, a year out of international duty at this point could well mean he won't ever make it back into the side. If he makes the same calculation and thinks he's got nothing much to lose then he might start throwing people under the bus.

Fingers crossed.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Title for Lehmann's autobiography sorted then.

 

[Reiabuzz]

 

[Doctor Carrot]

The best thing about this is David Warner will only be remembered as a bullying, cheating little prick and not for anything he done on a cricket pitch. I am immensely satisfied with that outcome.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Anyone watch Lehmann's painful press conference? He's not a natural in the media, is he? Excruciating first three minutes reading very hesitantly from the script. Followed by the real bit, the questions, in which he admitted that he had to change.

I still can't see him staying on beyond SA. The team needs a new culture and the bloke who created the old culture is the man for the job? That's a pretty hard thing to sell. What they need is someone who will instill some discipline, maybe set the players homework, that kind of thing.

 

[OzT]

and detentions?

 

[littlebabyjesus]

and detentions?

Of course. It will only be their own time they are wasting...

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I agree with Shane Warne on this. He suggested missing a test and a huge fine, plus stripping of captaincy/vice captaincy. I think that's about right, although maybe missing two tests rather than just one. And Australia have a rather secretive contracts system with a sliding scale and players ranked in order top to bottom. At the moment Smith will be top with Warner right up there as well, perhaps third after Starc. Demoting them to the bottom of the list is something they might have been able to do.

 

[mwgdrwg]

 

[peterkro]

View attachment 131319

Arf! Like they say "I support two teams NZ and whoever is playing Australia".

 

[planetgeli]

Meanwhile, in NZ, Ali and Woakes dropped. Obviously there's a massive case for both those decisions, but anyone who now doesn't see an incredibly long tail is looking at a different team to the one I am. I don't think Leach should play. NZ don't bowl spin at Christchurch so it's hardly the ground to blood a newbie. So he'll probably play then.