Punish Aussies for unfair play

As I watched events around the ball tampering involving Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft, I knew something like this was bound to happen.

For far too long, Australia has been allowed to get away with murder and the International Cricket Council has done very little to keep Australian players on the straight and narrow.

Even now, the punishment meted out to affected players is very lenient. Bancroft’s actions were brazen and what makes them even more severe is the fact that they were pre-planned.

Bancroft should have been banned as well because he’s the one who carried out the plan. Australian cricketers always pride themselves on playing cricket hard without “crossing the line”.

We’ve always wondered if they know where the line that shouldn’t be crossed is located. This incident shows that they have no clue. They’re the sole judges of that line.

This is something that is proving problematic for ICC. After the treatment of Kagiso Rabada, there was an outcry about the ICC’s inconsistency in dealing with wayward players. Australia have always striven to push the envelope.

I’m glad that ICC chief executive Dave Richardson is the one who laid the charges. Richardson is a former Proteas wicketkeeper. He was our number one keeper post isolation. I was always asking myself what he was doing at the ICC if he’s part of a group that is intent on destroying our players.

Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi was rightly suspended for two T20 matches after he brazenly bit the ball in 2010 against Australia. Somehow, the ICC develop cold feet every time they have to deal with Australia. I’m glad about Steve Smith’s punishment as the captain. I’m not happy with Bancroft’s punishment though. Richardson Mzaidume Pimville