Cricket Australia set to wield axe over ball-tampering scandal – live! | Sport

A couple of dissenting views. Rob Taylor writes: “I’d like to address the ball tampering laws. We need swing and reverse swing in the game. It’s vital on these batsman friendly wickets (especially if we continue using these rubbish, soft, seamless Kookaburra balls). We’ve let reverse swing become a vital part of cricket without addressing or adjusting the laws that currently make it borderline impossible to obtain entirely legally. If no-one adheres to a law, then it’s a bad law. Currently, every side in the world uses doctored saliva (via mints or gum or whatever) to try and keep the shiny side shiny and teams will deliberately throw the ball in on the bounce to rough up the ball. By the letter of the law both of these common practises are illegally changing the condition of the ball. This is part of the reason why the standard ICC punishment for ball tampering, from a mint in the mouth all the way up to what Smith and co were up to, is so light.

I say, relax the letter of the law. Allow teams to bounce the ball in, allow them to sweets or mints, allow them to use cloths or powders to dry their hands and therefore keep the ball drier and more likely to reverse. Maybe even allow certain very slightly abrasive and/or absorbent materials be used directly on the ball (not sandpaper or a zipper, but not silk, somewhere in between? I’m thinking towel maybe?). Make the offence of ball tampering specifically about applying illegitimate foreign objects, teeth or nails to the ball.”

To which Peter Mackelworth adds: “Back in my club playing days we used to use the spike key to ‘clean’ the seam, and nothing was ever thought of this. In many ways I think the offense is being blow out of proportion, the most negative thing in my mind is if Bancroft has been ‘forced’ to play the role.

Rather more darkly, Phil Withall wonders: “I’m sure I’m the first person to point this out but it’s to much of a coincidence that this scandal happened just as Queensland were closing in on the Sheffield Shield title. The Sydneycentric cricket Australia board will go to great lengths to keep Queensland out of the spotlight…”

An Anglo-centric observation is that Smith and Co couldn’t have timed this worse – if you want to bury bad deeds, don’t do it on an international football break weekend.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the crisis “turned nuclear on Tuesday night with players turning on David Warner amid claims that the deposed vice-captain may never play for his country again”:

The deposed vice-captain removed himself from the team’s WhatsApp group in the midst of the unprecedented drama. Warner and Steve Smith, who were both facing losing their leadership roles as well as having bans imposed for their part in the cheating plot, walked through Cape Town airport surrounded by hordes of television cameras and reporters.

You can read the full report from Chris Barrett here.

There’s always an Ashes angle. And here’s a recap, from PA, on what Michael Vaughan said about the likelihood of ball-tampering in the recent series:

The former England captain told BBC Sport: “I can’t believe that this hasn’t happened before. I look at the amount of tape some of the fielders have worn, particularly during the Ashes series, mid-on, mid-off. (You) don’t have to name names but they know who they are. I’m pretty sure that it was going on during the Ashes series. But it wasn’t the reason why England lost 4-0. They still would have lost that series …”

The former batsman, who led England to Ashes success in 2005, said: “I played for 17 years and there wasn’t a team that I played in that didn’t get close to the line. “There was many, you would say tricks, that many teams would use out in the middle. You’d see the ball get bounced into the rough to create reverse swing, you’d see sweets in the mouth, you’d see saliva put on the ball to try and keep that shine for longer.

“Is that right? Many will say not, but that’s what has happened in the game of cricket for many, many years and will continue to happen, because it’s very hard to control. One unwritten rule in the game is that you don’t take a piece or an object out there to tamper with the ball, and I’m pretty sure the Australians and the players involved in that leadership group will face the consequences.”

Vaughan does not agree with suggestions that Smith should be handed a life ban but believes the legacy of this Australia side will be forever tainted by the scandal. He said: “It doesn’t really matter what they achieve in their careers. They’re going be known as a team that cheated.”

We’re now firmly into the ‘reaction to the reaction’ phase, upon which Scott Probst writes: “Although the episode of planned ball tampering, involving as it does a bunch of senior players – the “leadership” group – is astounding, some of the santimonious commentary from past players is a little hard to stomach.

“The Australian (and world) cricketing public has been treated to years – decades – of ‘mental disintegration’ theory, ‘hard but fair’ mythos, players being found to have contact with bookies on the subcontinent, etc etc, but now the very players who carried on this way are shocked and disturbed by this development. Perhaps they are more shocked than anything by the fact that Smith admitted his mistake – surely this is the really exceptional part of the whole affair, that he owned up to it rather than attempt the usual machismo-fuelled self-justifications that we hear year in, year out.”

Julian, meanwhile, adds: “Have we all missed the point that nine times out of ten ball tampering doesn’t work? From the time in under 10s to senior grade cricket there has always been the premeditated team call to shine or not shine the kookaburra side. Sometimes this worked but the impact of the wicket surface, the humidity, the wind, the quality of the batsmen, a harsh outfield etc all conspired against the best laid plans to try and get an advantage and swing the ball. Let’s face it, even with a bit of stray tape it didn’t make a difference to the variability of the balls bowled in this most recent test.

“Again, let’s remember, the sole goal of a batsmen is to keep his eye on the ball wherever it goes and not get out. So let’s all think back over recent history and apart from the two Waqar’s and some magic with duke balls by English swing bowlers, how many times has attempted ball tampering worked against the bowling team and helped the batting team by stopping it from moving much at all! The trouble is we don’t know because it is not known what experiments various teams have undertaken to try to gain a bowling advantage as no post game analysis is possible because ball tampering is not an exact science not unlike management in general. Can’t we just say ‘well played South Africa’ you were the better team despite this unhealthy side show and move on.”

That seems unlikely.

Trevor Bayliss speaks. England’s Australian coach said: “As an Australian I’m embarrassed. Steve is a lovely young bloke who has made a terrible mistake, and I’m sure Cricket Australia will work out the course of action required.”

Full story here:

More from you the public. “Sure Smith should lose captaincy (and a ban is probably in order too) but this has got a bit daft now,” says Phil Harrison. “Now that my English schadenfreude at an Aussie cricketer in trouble has faded. I just feel a bit sad. Silly sod had it all and binned the lot.”

I think more of those emotions will come in time when the schadenfraude and outrage have dampened down a little, though it’s unlikely Smith (or Cameron Bancroft) will ever receive the same doleful sympathy that, say, Mohammad Amir got. Nonetheless we were all likening Smith to Bradman a few months ago, and liveblog regular Gary Naylor was penning stuff such as this, with good reason.

A word from Australia’s current opponents: South Africa’s coach Ottis Gibson has had his say on the tourists’ “win at all costs” mentality.

“The Aussies have said it themselves, the brand of cricket they play is win-at-all-costs,” Gibson said on Tuesday, wondering whether the relative ease of Australia’s Ashes win might have played a part.

“When you look at the Ashes, they were never really behind in any of the games, they won quite comfortably. Here they have been behind a couple of times and perhaps that desperation came into it. It’s a shame that something like this had to happen for them to have to have a look at themselves.

“Every team, since the beginning of reverse swing, tries to get the ball to reverse. They skim it in, they bounce it in, they try and get it rough. The spinner gets his hand in the dirt and rubs it on the ball. Everybody has got a way of getting the ball to go a little bit further. The ball will reverse naturally, but everybody has a way of getting it to go a little bit further. Perhaps the desperation that they were behind in the game meant they took it that step further. It’s unfortunate.”

Gibson expressed surprise at how big the story has become globally, but believes this is because of the spectacular fall-from-grace for a side that has been such a power in the game. “When you see such a deliberate act, then people will become very interested in it,” he said. “Especially with what Steve Smith said, that it was planned by a few of them, makes it an even bigger topic for people to talk about.

“Cricket Australia is a hundred-year-old organisation and they have been the envy of the world in terms of winning World Cup and so on. They have had great teams and great players for a long time. Those great players from the past will now feel like their good name has been tarnished a bit, so people have a right to be upset about it.”

Though even the most cricket-obsessed of us might have been surprised at it leading the BBC’s 10 o’clock news the other night.

I wondered whether the comments from Australia’s erstwhile master of mental disintegration would get a reaction, and sho’ enough:

Steve Waugh is the latest former Australia player to air his thoughts on it all. The former captain says he is “deeply troubled” by the ball-tampering row but has called for a “focused and balanced perspective” in the condemnation of those involved.

Waugh, quoted on Cricket Australia’s website, said: “Like many, I’m deeply troubled by the events in Cape Town this last week, and acknowledge the thousands of messages I have received, mostly from heartbroken cricket followers worldwide.

“The Australian cricket team has always believed it could win in any situation against any opposition, by playing combative, skillful and fair cricket, driven by our pride in the fabled Baggy Green.

“I have no doubt the current Australian team continues to believe in this mantra, however some have now failed our culture, making a serious error of judgement in the Cape Town Test match.

“In 2003, we modified the Spirit of Cricket document originally created by the MCC, to empower our players to set their own standards and commit to play the Australian way. We must urgently revisit this document, re-bind our players to it and ensure the spirit in which we play is safeguarded for the future of the sport, and to continue to inspire the dreams of every young kid picking up a bat and ball and for every fan who lives and breathes the game.”

He added: “A focused and balanced perspective is needed in the condemnation on those involved in this, with a clear and critical consideration to the social impact and mental health of all players. I will support all positive action to ensure an outcome for the betterment of the game, regaining the trust and faith of every fan of cricket.”

Morning/evening everyone. It’s likely d-day for Steve Smith, Darren Lehmann and others, as Cricket Australia’s chief executive, James Sutherland, joins the team in South Africa to investigate the ball-tampering scandal. Reports suggest Smith could be facing a year’s ban.

Sutherland will hear the outcome of an investigation into Saturday’s incident from the team performance head Pat Howard and integrity chief Iain Roy after the pair spent Monday in Cape Town interviewing the players. CA is expected to announces its punishments early this evening South Africa-time. Darren Lehmann’s position as coach also hangs in the balance with reports that he will pre-empt the investigation by stepping down more than a year ahead of his planned exit after next year’s Ashes.

In what might be seen as more parochial, mere-cricketing news, Matt Renshaw has been called into the squad for the fourth Test, a match that may well have an odd England v Pakistan at Lord’s in 2010 kind of vibe to it, though the enthusiasm with which South Africa greeted their victory at Cape Town on Sunday suggests perhaps not.

Anyway, stay with us as we log all the latest news and reaction. And you could do worse than start with a read of Matthew Engel, on why the buck has to stop with the captain, and Paul Connolly, on what this might all mean for Australian fans already weary of the way the team conducts itself.