Aussies set for rough reception
Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft are gone and for them and Cricket Australia the bleeding continues, the financial fall-out at home having followed the emotional one.
Yet for the 15 players who remain in South Africa – in particular the 11 who take the field at the Wanderers in Johannesburg – the rehabilitation of the Australian team began overnight.
The fourth test against South Africa has been an afterthought during the most tumultuous week in the sport’s his- tory in Australia. Until the eve of the match on Thursday afternoon here the team, now led by Tim Paine, had not even trained.
It was not until the night before that reinforcements Matthew Renshaw, Joe Burns and Glenn Maxwell had even arrived from Australia.
The series is delicately poised at 2-1 in South Africa’s favour, and Australia’s proud record of having not lost in the country since the end of apartheid could be maintained if they could somehow cover the loss of their two most prolific batsmen. In the new post-Newlands world they inhabit, however, there are greater issues to contend with than just Kagiso Rabada’s reverse swing.
The other eight members of the side who played in Cape Town will inevitably be tarred with the brush of Australia’s cheating and they will no doubt hear about it here.
The Wanderers is known as the Bullring because of its intimidating atmosphere as well as its layout.