Toowoomba cricket official slam Test players
TCI officials disgusted by actions of players
Cricket Australia has broken the trust of the cricket community and it will be a long road to recovery.
Speaking in the wake of the Australian Test cricket team’s ball tampering furore, Toowoomba Cricket Umpires Association president Chris Howard said he was disgusted.
“What has taken place is absolutely disgusting,” Howard said.
“And it’s not just the team’s leadership group that worries me.
“Even the Cricket Australia chief executive has a case to answer.
“They (Cricket Australia) needed to say a long time ago that the behaviour and standards of the team are completely unacceptable.
“This negative culture has been allowed to grow in the team for the past 12-18 months.”
With Australian captain Steve Smith openly admitting to being part of the decision to tamper with the ball, Howard said Cricket Australia’s response should be swift and
simple.
“We don’t need to conduct a massive investigation, he (Smith) has admitted to being part of it all. Smith should’ve been stood down immediately, David Warner as well.
“They should be looking at substantial punishments as well – maybe they should not be considered as players for the next Test series.
“I certainly don’t think the International Cricket Council’s one match ban is enough – Cricket Australia need to be a lot more proactive in this matter.”
Howard said the Australian team’s culture could of “systemic sledging” while negative shouldn’t impact on the local game.
“It certainly sends out the wrong message – especially when so much is being at a grassroots level to improve the game,” he said.
“Some of it (sledging) is just plain juvenile and Cricket Australia needs to stamp it out.
“Thankfully at a local level we’re not seeing that behaviour.
“Over the past three or four years a lot of Toowoomba Cricket officials, umpires and players have worked extremely hard to improve the culture of the game locally.
“We introduced a yellow card system some time ago and that is just one of the measures that has helped improve the game.”
The bigger issue
Toowoomba Cricket president Angus Rathie said Cricket Australia has far bigger issue than ball tampering to address now.
“It (the tampering incident) is a great disappointment but we need to look at the bigger picture,” Rathie said.
“I think it’s time we looked at the wider behaviour of the team and how they conduct themselves.
“We set high standards and expect a lot from them as players but they are also very well rewarded at the same time.
“It will take a lot of work from the players and Cricket Australia to rebuild the broken trust. A thorough investigation needs to take place but we have to ensure we take the emotion out of that investigation.”
Like Howard, Rathie does not believe the game will be effected at a local or junior level.
“There a lot of great people involved in the game at a grassroots,” he said.
“People that have a positive influence on our juniors not just from a sporting perspective. People that serve as mentors for sport and life in general passing on valuable lessons.
“Teaching them how to conduct themselves on and off the field.”