Financing a trial

THAT former president Jacob Zuma will have his legal fees paid by the state in his coming criminal trial seems to be a done deal, the only salvation lying in the fact that, if convicted, he must reimburse the costs incurred.

I do believe the assistance provided should be confined to the trial itself and exclude any proceedings, appeals and reviews aimed at delaying the matter.

Such costs should be for Zuma’s own account and payable upfront.

This means Zuma might avoid conviction but he would be financially and morally impoverished in equal measure. JOHN GARDENER

Howick

Sentences too light for Aussie cheats

THE Australian cricket team’s leaders have been awarded very light penalties for cheating by altering the condition of the ball with a rough tape. They haven’t only breached the letter of the law, but also violated the boundaries of the spirit of a game. Cricket is considered a game of fair play and sportsmanship.

It’s not just that the Australians have been caught blatantly cheating, it’s their arrogance and conceitedness that irks cricket teams and fans around the world. There should be nothing less than a long-term ban on Steve Smith and David Warner – they are guilty of match-fixing and bringing the game into disrepute.

Australians have this “holier than thou” attitude and acted as if they were the only examples of virtue on the field. They must now decide to award exemplary punishment to their captain and vice-captain for breaching the laws of the game. IQBAL RANDEREE Pietermaritzburg

Aussie cricket’s tainted reputation

AUSTRALIANS like taking the moral high ground when it comes to cheating, but they’re now exposed to allegations of hypocrisy.

As if the first two Tests in

South Africa didn’t throw up enough scandal, the Australian team have now been found to have cheated during the third Test.

Steve Smith has admitted responsibility and knowledge of how the ball tampering was discussed and undertaken, and should step down as captain of the team. It would be better to step down, accepting and admitting it was a terrible error of judgement, than to be stood down.

While Cameron Bancroft should have known better, as a young and inexperienced Test player he is guided by the senior players in the team and they have let him down immensely. Australian cricket is in turmoil now and it will take a long time to gain back the respect of the cricket world.

The team may be one of the best in the world, but it now has the label of “cheat” next to it, and that will take a long time to erase. SAIF SOOFIE

Sherwood

Editor’s note: The Australian Cricketers’ Association this week stripped Captain Steve Smith and his deputy, David Warner, of their positions and banned them from playing cricket for a year, while Cameron Bancroft received a nine-month ban for the balltampering in the third Test against South Africa. The punishment exceeds that of the International Cricket Council, which fined Smith 100% of his match fee and suspended him for one game and docked Bancroft 75% of his payment.