OutrageAUS!
Australian cricket was in the doldrums last night with Steve Smith’s future as captain in doubt after he admitted responsibility for a balltampering scandal and his team having lost the third Test.
Steve Smith’s future as captain of the side is now in serious doubt.
To our Australian cricket fans, we are sorry
Australian cricket was in a shambles last night – both off and on the field.
Steve Smith’s future as Australia captain was in doubt after he admitted responsibility for the ball-tampering scandal and the team was bowled out for 107 to hand South Africa a 322-run victory in the third Test at Newlands, and an unassailable 2-1 lead in the four-match series.
Smith was given a one-match ban by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after he earlier agreed to step down temporarily from his role ahead of yesterday’s fourth day of play – but nonetheless came under fire from all sides, including Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
“We all woke up this morning shocked and bitterly disappointed by the news from South Africa,” Turnbull told reporters. “It seemed completely beyond belief that the Australian cricket team had been involved in cheating.”
Smith will miss the fourth and final Test against South Africa due to his ban and was also fined his entire match fee for his leading role in attempting to “change the condition of the ball in order to gain an unfair advantage” on Saturday, the ICC said in a statement yesterday.
“The decision made by the leadership group of the Australian team to act in this way is clearly contrary to the spirit of the game, risks causing significant damage to the integrity of the match, the players and the sport itself and is therefore ‘serious’ in nature,” said ICC chief executive David Richardson.
“As captain, Steve Smith must take full responsibility for the actions of his players and it is appropriate that he be suspended.”
Opening batsman Cameron Bancroft was caught on television on Saturday’s third day, first rubbing a piece of yellow sticky tape on the ball and then trying to hide the evidence down his trousers.
The 25-year-old was hit by three demerit points, fined 75% of his match fee and warned over his role.
“To carry a foreign object on to the field of play with the intention of changing the condition of the ball to gain an unfair advantage over your opponent is against not only the laws, but the spirit of the game as well,” said ICC refereeing chief Andy Pycroft.
Wicketkeeper Tim Paine led the Australian team onto the Newlands field to muted jeers from the crowd yesterday after Smith and vice-captain David Warner had agreed to step down from their roles for the rest of the Test.
Smith, Warner and Bancroft were then loudly booed by fans during Australia’s second innings.
Cricket Australia (CA) chief James Sutherland had issued an apology to fans earlier yesterday.
“To our Australian cricket fans, we are sorry,” said Sutherland. “This behaviour calls into question the integrity of the team and Cricket Australia.”
Smith and his team-mates had come under heavy fire from Australian fans on social media.
“We know how you feel and have heard your feedback loud and clear. We share your anger and disappointment,” added Sutherland.
Smith had insisted on Saturday he wouldn’t resign from the captaincy but CA will be under heavy pressure to act decisively to bring an end to this unsavoury incident.
CA’s head of integrity Iain Roy and head of team performance Pat Howard were flying to South Africa to conduct an investigation.
Condemnation of Smith and his team has come from all quarters, and not just about the ball-tampering.
Smith admitted on Saturday to having committed “a big mistake” and took responsibility for Bancroft’s actions, admitting he was involved in planning the sly move.
“I’m not proud of what happened. It’s not in the spirit of the game,” he had said.
Smith insisted that coach Darren Lehmann was not part of the conspiracy, even though footage appeared to show the coach sending a message onto the field with 12th man Peter Handscomb after the first footage of the incident. –