#StandBySmith

[Iamcarlton]

hear hear

He'll learn from this but he has to cop what's coming on the chin.

Coming out and admitting the issue took strength and courage which was pleasing to see.

Wouldnt be giving him too much credit for admitting it had no other option as the evidence was clearly damning . The thing that really is disturbing is he allowed Bancroft a 6 test player to do the dirty work for him . That doesnt take courage and strength its cowardly and weak .

 

[Bombermania]

Jesus christ, the darkest hour in Aus cricket history?? Phil Hughes? World Series Cricket? I can keep going. Get a grip this is a blip on the radar

I wouldn't say World Series Cricket was the darkest hour, the sport needed to change as did a lot of thing in the late 1970s, the sport is better for that period.

 

[Sasquatch]

People have overreacted big time. Smith getting so much hate. This isn't worse than Warne doing drugs or Warne and Waugh match fixing games and they still have support despite doing that.

This is not the end of Smith. CA wont hand down bans and in the even they do it wont be much

 

[Doodlesweaver]

People have overreacted big time. Smith getting so much hate. This isn't worse than Warne doing drugs or Warne and Waugh match fixing games and they still have support despite doing that.

This is not the end of Smith. CA wont hand down bans and in the even they do it wont be much

Warne and Waugh didn't match fix as far as we know, they just did something very stupid with bookies.

 

[Bombermania]

People have overreacted big time. Smith getting so much hate. This isn't worse than Warne doing drugs or Warne and Waugh match fixing games and they still have support despite doing that.

This is not the end of Smith. CA wont hand down bans and in the even they do it wont be much

It was never proven that Warnie match fixed a match and in all honesty if you were any good at punting you would have just backed Warnie to take a bag of wickets.

 

[MilitaryLC]

People have overreacted big time. Smith getting so much hate. This isn't worse than Warne doing drugs or Warne and Waugh match fixing games and they still have support despite doing that.

This is not the end of Smith. CA wont hand down bans and in the even they do it wont be much

Yeah if i was Warney i wouldn't be throwing missiles around.

 

[BIRDBRAIN]

As disgraceful as this is let's see how the investigation pans out. Wouldn't surprise me at all if this 'leadership group' meeting where the team all blatantly decided to cheat in the most ******edly bound to fail and bound to get caught way didn't really happen like that. Would not surprise me if for example it was Warner who put Bancroft up to this and Smith being the captain has decided to take the fall for it.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

As disgraceful as this is let's see how the investigation pans out. Wouldn't surprise me at all if this 'leadership group' meeting where the team all blatantly decided to cheat in the most ******edly bound to fail and bound to get caught way didn't really happen like that. Would not surprise me if for example it was Warner who put Bancroft up to this and Smith being the captain has decided to take the fall for it.

I suspect we'd all like to think Warner is at the bottom of it but why would Smith cop it for him? Plus that makes Bancroft even dumber than Warner. Is that possible?

 

[outabounds]

I tend to think that this is a massive over reaction from a lot of people who don't even follow the game. talk of anLife Ban is totally ridiculous. People like Turnbull who lie and do nothing when one of his team "cheats" are being too outspoken. Didn't the Victorian Labour Party get caught out cheating in the last State Election last week? Where are all the haters for that?
I am very disappointed at what has occurred and Steve Smith will lose the captaincy of Australia. Thats enough!

 

[Ned_Flanders]

People have overreacted big time. Smith getting so much hate. This isn't worse than Warne doing drugs or Warne and Waugh match fixing games and they still have support despite doing that.

This is not the end of Smith. CA wont hand down bans and in the even they do it wont be much

Warne got a year ban for the pills remember, and for his piss weak bookie fine waugh was jeered by aussie crowds

They should face a sanction because they did cheat

 

[Total Power]

I wonder if they are now going to lose their massive IPL contracts?

 

[Mr Anderson]

People have overreacted big time. Smith getting so much hate. This isn't worse than Warne doing drugs or Warne and Waugh match fixing games and they still have support despite doing that.

This is not the end of Smith. CA wont hand down bans and in the even they do it wont be much

This is the sort of hypocrisy that leads to blatant cheating. Firstly, Warne did drugs and got suspended for it. Second, there is no evidence at all that Warne or Waugh fixed matches - they were naive and stupid, sure.

The core of why we watch sport is the belief that is is a fair contest between two teams using agreed rules, and the outcome is decided by the skills and efforts of the players. Once you deliberately cheat, you destroy the essence of what a sporting contest is all about. Might not mean much to some, but it means a lot to me, so I won't watch it, pay money to see it or support the sponsors who use the sport as a vehicle for their promotion. If they are weak in addressing the fact their captain deliberately tried to achieve an advantage outside of the agreed rules, then they don't need my support ever again, since there will always be doubt that the contest is fair. If enough people share my views, CA's budget takes a major hit.

 

[Mr Anderson]

I tend to think that this is a massive over reaction from a lot of people who don't even follow the game. talk of anLife Ban is totally ridiculous. People like Turnbull who lie and do nothing when one of his team "cheats" are being too outspoken. Didn't the Victorian Labour Party get caught out cheating in the last State Election last week? Where are all the haters for that?
I am very disappointed at what has occurred and Steve Smith will lose the captaincy of Australia. Thats enough!

Cheating is a recognised part of politics and something we accept in life in general - someone is always trying to bend the rules to take advantage of you/me. The beauty of sport is that we love it precisely because we want to believe players compete according to the rules and the outcome is decided on their abilities alone. If sport mirrors real life, why would we have any interest in it?

 

[craffles]

I wouldn't say World Series Cricket was the darkest hour, the sport needed to change as did a lot of thing in the late 1970s, the sport is better for that period.

Yeah fair enough it was a very disruptive period for the game though with much more impact.

Social media and the digital world we live in means things just absolutely blow up these days

 

[gaelictiogar]

I feel sorry for Smith. The Ashes was His series. Captain, run getter. He killed England. Legit comparisons with The Don.

That to this. What a shame. It is a tragedy of sorts.

 

[kickazz]

As has been mentioned, several players have been convicted of ball tampering recently and got pretty light sanctions.

This is a bit worse in that it was coordinated, but the precedent set by the ICC regardless is that ball tampering "isn't that bad" and ranks in the same ballpark as excessive appealing, aggressive send offs, etc.

The best thing CA can do here is put harsh but fair penalties in place: 3 to 5 match suspensions, and Smith no longer captain for at least a year.

This will show the cricket world that we do care about the spirit of the game, clearly more than the rest. A huge step in regaining the moral high ground.

It sounds silly and too soon to say, but come the fourth test, there'll be two captains walking out there, only one of them a ball tampering cheat; and it won't be ours.

 

[TW Sherrin]

Australia has abused the spirit of cricket for a long time. Staggered anyone could stick up for these cheating pricks

Smith has always been a sh1t captain but his runs glossed over it. He's a poor tactician and immature with the way he carries on onfield.

Everyone involved in this cant play for Australia again. Its that simple.

 

[Financialpanther]

This was brazen and premeditated to get an advantage - other dark situations such as Warne and Waugh were silly errors. Smith has disgraced himself and the country, who can trust him saying that it was the first time they had done it. It was more than likely the first time they got caught.

There is no trust for him, Warner, Lehman or others in the leadership group (leadership is now a very loose term). Do I think the reaction has been an overreaction from the Australian public....no, its a game and a team that is loved by all which makes it a hot topic. The Australian public has stood by the team in times of sledging and really questionable intimidation tactics in the past - this takes it to a whole new sphere. Love my cricket, now I don't want to watch any Australian games. If they go soft on this, then I am lost to the game (and I am sure there are others who might just feel the same).

Never allow him to be captain again...ever. Can he play again, maybe, but he needs to serve out a lengthy ban (suggest 6mths to a year). Same goes with Warner, and Lehman should be sacked at the end of the tour. The culture of this team must change even if it means a couple of losing summers.

 

[Iamcarlton]

As has been mentioned, several players have been convicted of ball tampering recently and got pretty light sanctions.

This is a bit worse in that it was coordinated, but the precedent set by the ICC regardless is that ball tampering "isn't that bad" and ranks in the same ballpark as excessive appealing, aggressive send offs, etc.

The best thing CA can do here is put harsh but fair penalties in place: 3 to 5 match suspensions, and Smith no longer captain for at least a year.

This will show the cricket world that we do care about the spirit of the game, clearly more than the rest. A huge step in regaining the moral high ground.

It sounds silly and too soon to say, but come the fourth test, there'll be two captains walking out there, only one of them a ball tampering cheat; and it won't be ours.

Just emphasizes that the penalties for ball tampering are clearly not strong enough doesnt it because it just keeps happening . And we also shouldnt just fall in line with the penalties the ICC set . Clearly a message needs to be sent by CA and the ICC that this sort of stuff is not tolerated . Cheating is cheating and ball tampering of any kind should be stamped out of the game forever! .

 

[Professor Knowall]

I feel sorry for Smith. The Ashes was His series. Captain, run getter. He killed England. Legit comparisons with The Don.

That to this. What a shame. It is a tragedy of sorts.

Yeah, it does have the hallmark of a good old Greek tragedy - the wheel of fortune, with great success leading to great self pride, leading to the great downfall, all of that sort of stuff.

 

[AcuteWhistle]

Opens thread praying it wasnt started by an Essendon supporter....
yee gods man, what were you thinking??

As for Smith, he can **** right off & take Lehman & Warner with him, dont want to see any of them anywhere near this team ever again. In fact if they had any dignity whatsoever they would be so ashamed of their actions they would walk away from this team for good, but obviously they don't.

 

[90N90S]

Everyone does it but I am not worried nor do I care if everyone does it.

Would you jump in the fire because everyone does it?

He is the captain of our team and planning something like that rest with him and the so called leadership group.

We have the best bowlers in the world or so we claim why did they have to cheat?

The thing that is disgusting is that they actually planned it and admitted it.

Something is rotten with the Aussie cricket team to stoop that low.

 

[screech]

Lehmann, Smith, Warner & Bancroft all to be banned for life and have their records expunged.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[CURVE]

We aren't South Africa.
We aren't Pakistan.
We aren't England.

We have standards and integrity. Ask Greg Chappell, 35 years after the underarm incident and it still leaves a stain on his legacy. As it should.

Steve Smith and David Warner should be punished and made examples of for future players and leaders of our National team. They blatantly disregarded 140+ years of Australia Cricket History with this disgusting act of cheating and should never been seen on the cricket again, and should never be heard in a commentary box either. They should no longer be allowed to have any association with Australian Cricket ever again.

 

[90N90S]

Lehmann, Smith, Warner & Bancroft all to be banned for life and have their records expunged.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Nah I don't agree with a life ban they didn't kill anyone 12 month ban for all involved and Smith will never be captain again.