Glazed, vacant eyes with police shielding him from a crowd taunting ‘cheat, cheat’ . . . portrait of Steve Smith — a broken man
ONE—YEAR BAN COULD COST SMITH ALMOST £4MILLION
After Cricket Australia announced the bans for Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, Australia great Shane Warne posted a passionate statement on Facebook. This is an abridged version:
Like every other Australian and cricket lover around the world, i was shocked and angered by what we saw in Cape Town.
To hear that the Australian cricket team had been involved in pre-meditated cheating is something that is embarrassing. There is no way you can condone it.
We are all so hurt and angry and maybe we weren’t so sure how to react. We’d just never seen it before. But the jump to hysteria is something that has elevated the offence beyond what they actually did, and maybe we’re at a point where the punishment just might not fit the crime.
The hysteria has gone worldwide and everyone that dislikes the way the Australian cricket team has played — and over the past five or so years there have been rumblings about the way this team has gone about things — has been given the opportunity to lay the boot in.
There are those countries that don’t like Australia, don’t like individuals in the team, and there has been a build-up of hate which has exploded and created this tornado of hysteria. But what are the players guilty of? Cheating via ball tampering and bringing the game into disrepute.
Their opposing captain, South Africa’s Faf du Plessis, has been charged with the offence twice, bowler Vernon Philander once.
The list of players who have been charged with ball tampering is long and contains some of the game’s biggest names, like Sachin Tendulkar and Mike Atherton.
Then there’s the idea of premeditated cheating. But are there levels of ball tampering, or is it just ball tampering? is putting a mint in your pocket so you can shine a ball pre- meditated cheating, or just ball tampering?
What about putting sunscreen on the ball? You either ball-tamper or you don’t. For that reason i don’t think, at the moment, the punishment — a 12 month ban — is fitting the crime.
They’ve been charged with breaching the spirit of the game, something that is so important to us Australians and something which was important to every team i played in. At times we made mistakes, we pushed things too far. But the win- at- all- costs attitude in modern sport can make people do stupid things.
i think Steve Smith was guilty of making a severe error of judgement. He was naive and you can’t condone what he did. He’d be devastated. i am still trying to wrestle with what i think the punishments should be. They have to be harsh, but if they are out for a year, the punishment does not fit the crime. My punishment would have been to miss the fourth Test match, a huge fine, and be sacked as captain and vice- captain. But they should still be allowed to play after that.
Darren Lehmann has been cleared of knowing what went on, too, which has surprised plenty, but that’s all part of the hysteria.
in the teams i played in everyone has to be on the same page to get the ball to reverse. if one player shines it wrong or gets the dry side wet, it doesn’t work.
But the plan — throwing it in to the ground, bowling cross seam, whatever it was — would have been set out a long time ago, not in the dressing room at lunch.
So in this case, i can understand why a lot of people may not have known. i feel for everyone involved, for Smith and Dave Warner and Cameron Bancroft, and i know what they are going through.
When things like this happen, it comes at you from all angles and you think there is no way out. You start thinking about how to win back the trust of your teammates and the worldwide public. it happens by way of your actions and time.
The Australian public can be harsh and judgmental. But time heals. What the public wants to see is a change. They want to see you change, be a better person. They’ll support you if they see that and forgive you.
i made lots of mistakes in my life and will continue to make them as it’s called being human. i have always said to younger players, don’t worry about how many runs you make or how many Tests you play, people will always judge you by the way you play the game.
it’s Australian to play it hard and tough. But not win at all costs. And never cheat.
Cheating is un-Australian. We hold our sportsmen and women in such high regard, that’s why this hurts so much. But they can come back from this and they will.
Lastly, world cricket needs to take this opportunity to set new standards for on-field play and Australia need to lead the way and gain respect from everyone and give all the young boys and girls a reason to want to play cricket and be proud of our national team.