OT: The Ashes

[Badger 2,405]

Well worth staying up for - great to see Stuart Broad find a way of dealing with the persistent short-pitched bowling.

[Van wink 2,994]

Cameron Bancroft: Australia player admits to ball-tampering, Steve Smith knew in advance

Dirty cheating scumbags

[Bill 1,788]

[quote user="Van wink"]Cameron Bancroft: Australia player admits to ball-tampering, Steve Smith knew in advance

Dirty cheating scumbags[/quote]The Australians ?What has not been asked is where did he got that piece of yellow ''stuff''Was it just lying about the dressing room ?Or there if ''needed'' (which I suspect) ?

[SHRIMPER 328]

I think that Smith was not the only one who knew either. They should both be kicked off the team, pronto.

[Bill 1,788]

[quote user="SHRIMPER"]I think that Smith was not the only one who knew either. They should both be kicked off the team, pronto.[/quote]I would be surprised if the action most would want is taken.Far too much money involved through advertising, sponsorship and TV deals.Was ever thus

[PurpleCanary 5,557]

What I find bizarre is that with cameras everywhere, scrutinising players'' every action, they thought they got get away with it unnoticed.

[SHRIMPER 328]

Smith and Warner have stepped down with immediate effect which is a step, but I think stiffer steps should be taken. I played a lot of cricket in my younger days and have seen many many test matches. In my day you walked if you knew you had edged one to hand without the umpire having to give you out. Same with the catcher, if he said he caught it, he did, no doubting it. Those days have sadly gone and cricket is the worse for it. We used to say, "play your life by the rules of cricket and you will be a good man" where did those sentiments go to?

[Crabbycanary3 994]

They need to be punished severely.

What a crock, that came out of their press conference. There is far too much waffle, when it comes to excuses, in all sports. Cut the carp out, and have some straight talking

"Regrets"? Yep, I''m sure you do have regrets............at getting caught. FFS

[TIL 1010 4,738]

You must remember that Aussies were hand picked by our finest judges over two hundred and fifty years ago. [:D]

[Van wink 2,994]

“I would be surprised if the action most would want is taken.

Far too much money involved through advertising, sponsorship and TV deals.

Was ever thus”

The leadership team, four or five players will not play for the Aussies for a least a couple of seasons imo. Management must surely also have known and if proved they will go as well. I think we will see a massive example made here.

[SwindonCanary 455]

Steve Smith has been banned for one match and fined his entire match fee by the ICC-- That''s not enough !

[Van wink 2,994]

There will be more to come Swindon

[Guest]

Never mind Bancroft and Smith. How about holier than thou Warner.

Snarling little turd (I''m an Aussie so I''m dinkum) thumps Baby Root. Is known as the arch nasty sledger, moans when it comes back and is now party to this.

Atherton ought to interview them of course. Pakistanis would have been suspended for a long tome for this.

[BroadstairsR 2,162]

"Steve Smith has been banned for one match and fined his entire match fee by the ICC-- That''s not enough !"

The Aussies never shoot them selves in the foot eg. Warner/Root, sledging etc.

We tend to be the opposite egs from Boycott''s slow scoring to Beefy''s pot and onto Pieterson and Stokes.

Surely the ICC (or whatever) will insist upon appropriate punishment for this bunch of cheats.

[Molly Windley 76]

I`m not accepting Smiths statement that they were trying to get the ball changed.There is no way that you can damage a ball sufficiently by rubbing dirt into it that the umpires will change it.Sticking dirt onto a tiny piece of tape in order to make it into a low grade piece of sandpaper, not buying that at all

[Van wink 2,994]

“Atherton ought to interview them of course”

😀

There is a massive adverse reaction in Australia to this and there are going to be very serious repercussions as a result.

[Bill 1,788]

[quote user="Molly Windley"]I`m not accepting Smiths statement that they were trying to get the ball changed.There is no way that you can damage a ball sufficiently by rubbing dirt into it that the umpires will change it.Sticking dirt onto a tiny piece of tape in order to make it into a low grade piece of sandpaper, not buying that at all[/quote]The idea was to rough up one side of the ball so as to make it swing ''better''.My thought would be, did the Aussies suddenly come up with this idea ... or has it been tried and tested before elsewhere ?Similarly with the tap, was the bowler familiar with this practice and was tape used so as to have an excuse if he was searched.

Will we see sponsors drop these players, as with other sports ?It should now have journalists (and others) checking other games to see if there was any ''sudden spells'' of reverse swing that changed those games

[daisy 138]

If it was football and England instead of cricket and the Aussies, how many people think our captain would get away with a one match ban for cheating?? No, we as a football nation would get slaughtered by the world press, not a slap on the wrist.

[Ray 111]

The fact they used bright yellow tape, rather than white pretty much sums up their IQ in my opinion. Let''s cheat and make it as obvious as we can, either that or they believe they are above the game. I believe the Australian government will play a big part here.

[Bill 1,788]

I would suggest that was all that was available - though it does suggest it has been done before (using tape)Perhaps in home games the cameras have not been so vigilante (I wonder why)Much will not depend on how the sponsors react, as it will be them that really decidesHow much they might see any association with this incident, the players involved or the whole Australian national team will have to be seen

[wooster 134]

Surely we should have a re-run of the Ashes or, failing that, asking the electorate what they think should have happened.

[Bill 1,788]

why ?

[STFU 0]

I have no idea why this ball-tampering incident has been added to the Ashes thread, it’s nothing to do with the Ashes and we were thrashed again because our batsmen don’t have enough discipline, they didn’t have to cheat to beat us.

[Herman 9,756]

Did the Aussies cheat in the Ashes? Maybe, who knows., I am sure the eagle eyed would have spotted it if they had.

Were England awful? A definite yes. Did they deserve to lose? Again, a definite yes.

[Bill 1,788]

The eagle eyed can only ''spot'' hat the camera zooms in on.That''s why SA cameras caught the incident, and maybe Aus cameras why not looking.Remember this is the country who bowled an under arm ball at NZ.

[king canary 7,604]

Stuart Broad''s take on it was pretty funny I must say.

[SwindonCanary 455]

It makes you wonder, how Australia manged to swing the ball so well in the Ashes, whilst our bowlers struggled, and if that worked, why change it by cheating !  

[Jim Smith 2,317]

Although we can;t really argue that it was pivotal to the Ashes result you do wonder how much was going in in that series given the swing they got in some conditions compared to our bowlers.

I take it people have seen the video of Bancroft putting the sugar in his pocket? That passed me by at the time.

Could have happened to a more dislikeable, classless Australian side so they get no sympathy from me. I thought they were classless in victory during the Ashes and their behaviour since has not been great.

[Jim Smith 2,317]

Couldn''t that should say.

[SHRIMPER 328]

Smith has now stood own as captain of the Rajasthan Royals. I think he was paid just under 2 Million dollars for the upcoming IPL. Big pay packet to lose. I think he will lose a lot more sponsorship deals also. The saying in Oz give it a FAIR GO that has all gone out the window. I hope he sinks into sporting oblivion along with all others who were in on the cheating. Be interesting to see how Cricket Australia deals with it.