[Cricket] Aussie Cheats!

[hans kraay fan club]

Anyone else starting to feel just a little bit sorry for them now?

No. Not in the slightest.

Can only imagine that those feeling that way, have not grown up playing cricket.

Seriously - you could scarcely conceive of a more serious offence on the field of play, than smuggling sandpaper onto the pitch, and using it to damage the ball. That they then hid the evidence, and continued to lie about it when questioned afterwards just compounds things.

No sympathy at all. In fact, I think Bancroft in particular has got off very lightly. Under pressure or otherwise, he knew exactly how serious an offence he was agreeing to be party to.

 

[Is it PotG?]

https://www.facebook.com/triplej/videos/10160460780590160/

 

[Triggaaar]

In the sense that folk need to drop the faux outrage and let it go now, yes.

I have to say I don't like the way that we're no longer allowed to be annoyed by something, it has to be faux outrage.

 

[Titanic]

No. Not in the slightest.

Can only imagine that those feeling that way, have not grown up playing cricket.

Seriously - you could scarcely conceive of a more serious offence on the field of play, than smuggling sandpaper onto the pitch, and using it to damage the ball. That they then hid the evidence, and continued to lie about it when questioned afterwards just compounds things.

No sympathy at all. In fact, I think Bancroft in particular has got off very lightly. Under pressure or otherwise, he knew exactly how serious an offence he was agreeing to be party to.

Totally. A little bit of vaseline off your lips or sun cream off your face, even a little scratch with your fingernail... but SANDPAPER??

 

[Guinness Boy]

There are other reasons why the punishments have been comparatively harsh. This has been a great damage limitation exercise by CA in that they've limited the real damage to 3 players only and the coach has got away without a ban.

There's pretty compelling evidence that other players knew what was going on and that this wasn't a one off - sugar in the pocket, warner's hand strapping and the fact that they were managing to get the ball reversing in conditions where nobody else could. But by giving the media, sponsors and public just enough blood to satisfy them CA have avoided any further investigation into this and possible previous misdemeanours.

Exactly this.

We're not talking about a village cricketer using a bit of suncream or a county player occasionally picking the seam. This is a team that seem to have been at this for a considerable amount of time while taking the moral high ground. This is a team that urged their fans to make Broad cry and clearly sledged Bairstow beyond what's acceptable and yet can't take Saffer fans giving them it back and, all the while, bending the rules and the ball like a banana.

Warner will hopefully never play Test cricket again. Lehmann is a disgusting individual. Smith and Bancroft got pretty much what they deserved.

 

[Me and my Monkey]

No. Not in the slightest.

Can only imagine that those feeling that way, have not grown up playing cricket.

Seriously - you could scarcely conceive of a more serious offence on the field of play, than smuggling sandpaper onto the pitch, and using it to damage the ball. That they then hid the evidence, and continued to lie about it when questioned afterwards just compounds things.

No sympathy at all. In fact, I think Bancroft in particular has got off very lightly. Under pressure or otherwise, he knew exactly how serious an offence he was agreeing to be party to.

Oh, I know. My husband and a lot of his pals are huge cricket fans, and I do understand what a big thing it is, what tits these boys were and had been in many other ways, and how they have let down so many people. But I just don’t like to see grown men cry, and where Smith and Bancroft are concerned I really think the enormity of what they have done, and how they’ve affected people close to them as well as the wider world, has now truly dawned on them. Call me a softie, but is it not time to start accepting that they are genuinely remorseful, and move on? Not sure about that Warner fellow, though, I’ve yet to see him crying at his press conference.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

No. Not in the slightest.

Can only imagine that those feeling that way, have not grown up playing cricket.

Seriously - you could scarcely conceive of a more serious offence on the field of play, than smuggling sandpaper onto the pitch, and using it to damage the ball. That they then hid the evidence, and continued to lie about it when questioned afterwards just compounds things.

No sympathy at all. In fact, I think Bancroft in particular has got off very lightly. Under pressure or otherwise, he knew exactly how serious an offence he was agreeing to be party to.

I'm not at all sure they've got off lightly. In fact I'm sure they haven't. Maybe in strictly cricketing terms. But as is the Aussie way, they'll been playing cricket since they were tiddlers, they'll have been nurtured ever since, supported to the hilt by their family and friends, reached the pinnacle of their sport and their country, where they're held in far more esteem than any politician. Their nans will have scrapbooks, their families will have been so proud. For all that to come crashing down on them overnight is a personal tragedy, and to be fair to Smith and Bancroft, once they were caught out, they've never once tried to deflect the flak. Respect for that at least. And their immediate future is that anytime they show their face in public or attempt to resume a normal life, they'll be a cheap shot for any bogan who wants to say their piece for probably the rest of their lives. Wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

 

[Audax]

For everyone jumping on the "they must have been cheating for ages..." bandwagon, you might want to take a read of this from the ICC:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_...ode-conduct-ball-tampering-set-bigger-offence

tl;dr: everyone has been ball tampering to at least some extent. The authorities have just been ignoring it. There's a reason why both Bayliss and Root have said that they have no concern over the recent Ashes series. Keep in mind here that an incident with Anderson during that same Ashes series is one of the obliquely alluded to examples of umpires turning a lenient blind eye that David Richardson mentions (lifting the quarter seam).

Edit: to be clear, I entirely accept Anderson's defence that he was only cleaning the ball. But under the letter of the law he should have done it under umpire supervision, not bending over the ball looking like he's trying to hide what he's doing.

 

[Is it PotG?]

For all that to come crashing down on them overnight is a personal tragedy, and to be fair to Smith and Bancroft, once they were caught out, they've never once tried to deflect the flak. Respect for that at least.

They had no choice and would have looked even more ridiculous by attempting to deflect it or trying to wriggle. I do not see that aspect as a positive at all. Mea culpa.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

They had no choice and would have looked even more ridiculous by attempting to deflect it or trying to wriggle. Mea culpa.

Of course they had a choice. Don't recall they mentioned Warner once. Nearest they came was the oblique reference to the 'management group of players'

 

[Is it PotG?]

Of course they had a choice. Don't recall they mentioned Warner once

They were bang to rights, and didn't mention Lehmann directly either. 3 cheers for their loyalty. Well done them.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Call me a softie, but is it not time to start accepting that they are genuinely remorseful, and move on?.

I'm happy to accept that they are genuinely remorseful, I just don't understand why that means I should feel sorry for them. They DESERVE this - the lasting shame as well as the bans.

to be fair to Smith and Bancroft, once they were caught out, they've never once tried to deflect the flak. Respect for that at least.

This just isn't true though.

Bancroft gets spotted, with a 'foreign object' in his hands. That's the point he was 'caught out'.
Does he front up? - no - he hides it in his pants.

The umpires confront him and ask what he has in his trousers. Now he 100% knows he's 'caught out'.
Does he front up at this point? - no - he shows them his sunglasses cover.

By the close of play, the TV company have gone to town. He knows he's caught out. We know he's caught out. He knows we know he's caught out.
So, finally, he has to front up, yes? - no - it was a piece of 'yellow sticky tape'.

That looks like a whole lot of 'deflecting', to me.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

That looks like a whole lot of 'deflecting', to me.

Sorry, should have been more specific, should have said that at no time did they attempt to divert the flak on to others. Apart from , like I said in a later post, the oblique reference to the 'management group of players' i.e. Warner.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

For everyone jumping on the "they must have been cheating for ages..." bandwagon, you might want to take a read of this from the ICC:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_...ode-conduct-ball-tampering-set-bigger-offence

tl;dr: everyone has been ball tampering to at least some extent. The authorities have just been ignoring it. There's a reason why both Bayliss and Root have said that they have no concern over the recent Ashes series. Keep in mind here that an incident with Anderson during that same Ashes series is one of the obliquely alluded to examples of umpires turning a lenient blind eye that David Richardson mentions (lifting the quarter seam).

Edit: to be clear, I entirely accept Anderson's defence that he was only cleaning the ball. But under the letter of the law he should have done it under umpire supervision, not bending over the ball looking like he's trying to hide what he's doing.

We all appreciate that you Australians are hurting over this, but your #whataboutism in attempts to dilute the offence, cut no ice at all.

Argue all you like, that picking the seam, or wiping your hand on your suncream, then the ball, or accidentally treading on it in your follow-through, are all at the thinner end of the same wedge. Argue all you like that its the ICC's fault for not being stricter in the past.

But none of it changes how calculated and serious an offence these players have committed. None of it.

 

[ManOfSussex]

It has to be said, Cricket Australia have more than lived up to their claims of integrity. Good on ya. World cricket should be grateful for the high standards they have not only claimed, but demonstrated.

Just a shame that Cricket Australia have let things sink to this over nearly the last 5 years on Lehmann's watch before acting.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Sorry, should have been more specific, should have said that at no time did they attempt to divert the flak on to others. Apart from , like I said in a later post, the oblique reference to the 'management group of players' i.e. Warner.

Bancroft's slow motion close-up on high-definition camera made it pretty impossible for him to come out and say "It wasn't my fault. It was him", didn't it?

He's already proven himself a cheat and a liar. No need to show himself as a moron, too.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Bancroft's slow motion close-up on high-definition camera made it pretty impossible for him to come out and say "It wasn't my fault. It was him", didn't it?

He's already proven himself a cheat and a liar. No need to show himself as a moron, too.

You think a rookie Test Match player concocted up that plot to cheat all by himself? Really?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

You think a rookie Test Match player concocted up that plot to cheat all by himself? Really?

Not at all. But nor do I think there wasn't an opportunity to say "No, I'm having no part of it".

Bancroft, whilst relatively new to Test cricket, isn't a child. He's a 25 year old professional, in his 8th season in first class cricket.

 

[Questions]

Anyone else starting to feel just a little bit sorry for them now?

What ? Just because of a quick blub in front of the cameras. They’ve been getting away with it......... sugar in the pocket ....cheats......now this ..... CHEATS !!!!

 

[Normal Rob]

Not at all. But nor do I think there wasn't an opportunity to say "No, I'm having no part of it".

Bancroft, whilst relatively new to Test cricket, isn't a child. He's a 25 year old professional, in his 8th season in first class cricket.

Genuine question - would those asking him to do it have a significant say in team selection for future tests? Or is selection done by another commitee? If the former then i would say there was a lot of pressure to comply.