Reaction and tweets to the ball-tampering scandal at Newlands
JAMES SUTHERLAND, Cricket Australia chief
“To our Australian cricket fans. We are sorry.
We are sorry that you had to wake up this morning to the news… that our Australian men’s cricket team and our captain admitted to conduct that is outside both the laws of our game and spirit of cricket.
MICHAEL CLARKE, former Australia captain
“It’s a terrible day for Australian cricket. I can’t believe the leadership group have got a young kid playing in his eighth Test match to do this.”
ADAM GILCHRIST, former Australia wicketkeeper
“Australian cricket is the laughing stock of the sporting world.”
SHANE WARNE, former Australia spinner
“Disappointed in Steve Smith as captain to go out there and do that. To me it was unAustralian. I don’t care who you are… you can’t tamper with the ball.”
OTTIS
GIBSON,
South Africa coach
“I’m shocked at what’s gone on. I’ve never seen anything as blatant as that.”
SHAUN POLLOCK, former South Africa paceman
“It was pre-meditated and they’ve been caught. They have been shown to cheat.”
GRAEME SMITH, former South Africa captain
“You’ve got to ask some tough questions of Steve Smith and (Australia coach) Darren Lehmann. They’ve obviously driven this process, they’re the leadership.”
DALE STEYN, South Africa paceman
“Nothing in professional sport is done without the consent of your captain and coach.”
KEVIN PIETERSEN, former England batsman
“The leaderships groups jobs (sic) are untenable. They’ve disgraced a great cricketing nation & Test cricket.”
MICHAEL ATHERTON, former England captain
“They are in crisis. This certainly will not be the end of it. There will be consequences for senior members of the team.”
BOB WILLIS, former England paceman
“I would be very surprised if everyone in the dressing room didn’t know what was going on. They were so naive to get caught.”
MICHAEL VAUGHAN, former England captain
“Disgraceful behaviour by senior pros.”
MOHAMMAD KAIF, former India batsman
“Oh no! Bancroft. Very embarrassing. From the looks of it, this is not on. Haven’t seen a series marred by controversies like this one in a long long time.”