Australia v India, 1st Test at Adelaide Oval Dec 6-10.

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Golumless

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Harsha Bhogle was interesting yesterday when he said ball tampering is a minor offence in cricket that usually carries a 1 match suspension and Indian cricket cannot believe the players copped a 12 month suspension. It doesn't appear Australia disciplining players has made any impression on other countries but to laugh at us.
I'd argue that the 12 months wasn't designed to make an impression to other countries. More it was designed to make an impression to Australia's supporters, maybe they too thought we had all gone too far over the last 3-4 years.
 

DaRick

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Of course they will. Steve Smith was obliterating records as the no 1 bat in the world and on his way to being one of the greats of all time. I would not be surprised if he doesn't return in that form - you can't be out of the game (at international test level) for that long and just continue on in such a rich vein - not too mention all the additional mental pressure he will have to make amends/make up for lost time/answer his critics/etc. It's a shame as I feel we will be robbed of a 'generational' cricketer.

The penalties were so harsh due to public reaction and the fallout continues with the latest audit and 'nice guys' thing. The real reason I beleive Aussies are hostile to the cricket team is so many got used to Australia dominating everyone for about 2 decades. It became the norm to be so much better than everyone and when we became an average side, it was jarring, uncomfortable and the team lost respect and popularity. I mean everyone loved the cricket team in the 2000's and they were more abrasive, aggressive, etc then than now.
Originally public hostility towards the side came from tall-poppy syndrome. In 2007/08 we were still the world's best side and yet the public hysteria during the Monkeygate saga (in which our side didn't actually break any rules) probably rivalled the ball-tampering saga.

Nowadays I think the hysteria has more to do with self-righteous moral grandstanding and a sense of Australian exceptionalism and cultural imperialism, where our side are held to higher standards because 1) they are Australian and 2) because players from other countries come from different cultures to our own and so cannot be expected to be held responsible for their actions to the same degree - because their cultures are less 'enlightened'.
 

G Mus

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Australians love a winner by the same amount they loath losing.

They jump off the bandwagon and land hard, then blame the wagon for their scratches.
It's a big reason why the a-league can't have relegation, Australian culture is as bandwagon as it gets
 

DaRick

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You may be right, but it seems a little strange from a society which loved the West Indies through 2 decades of domination, the same society who now cheer like mad each time Winx extends its' unbeaten run.

I honestly think a new generation came along who decided it was "cool" to dislike the Australian Test team, and it caught on. Even the media jumped on the bandwagon.
See that's the thing - the West Indies were not all that sportsmanlike. Their bowling could quite often be described as intimidatory and the likes of Viv Richards had no problem publicly challenging opposition players to fights.
 

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