#StandBySmith

[Doss]

I said 'an', not all.

Yeah and it was still a dumb equivalency.

Smith is a great batsman and I'm happy to see him play for Australia again after however long he ends up being suspended for following this. However he should be sacked as captain and as far as I'm concerned, he shouldn't be considered for the role again.

He's admitted driving a practice that is blatant and completely wilful cheating. There's no defending that, or coming back from it in terms of his credibility.

 

[Kuuz]

Smith cannot ever be captain again. Simple.

His actions show a complete disregard that his role as captain represents Australian Cricket as a whole and the wider Australian public. His actions have brought our national reputation in the sport crashing through the floor. Cheating is cheating. That's a very hard tag to get rid of. Yes cheating differs in degree, but the line was crossed.

Absolutely disgraceful. Should not even be in contemplation.

Honestly, should be banned for months, stripped of the captaincy and all others who sanctioned the plot.

Cricket Australia will have the reputation as dirty players / cheaters now for years to come. Smith has damaged our brand and he should not be shown an iota of mercy.

As good a batsman as he is, no man is greater than the team. Would not mind never seeing him in the baggy green after this. Bloody furious.

#rantdone #smithcanstandbyhimself

 

[DaRick]

He can't sensibly retain his place as captain after admitting to cheating. It would be a complete PR disaster.

As a player, he should serve the usual penalty for ball tampering (up to one match) at the very least. He might not have done it himself, but he was obviously complicit, which is almost as bad.

Talk of suspending him for months though is IMO a bit over the top considering the usual penalties meted out for such offences though.

 

[craffles]

Sigh

 

[the universal]

'Everything I don't like is political correctness'.

 

[90N90S]

#standbythecheat

 

[Kuuz]

The game is so heavily skewed to batsmen it's not funny. A little bit of extra dirt on the ball won't hurt

Mate, explain how you can excuse cheating...

Spinning it and saying "putting a bit of dirt on the ball" doesnt expunge the facts:

1. The leadership group pre-meditated a plan that went outside the rules of the game clearly;
2. Knew they were breaking the rules in full knowledge;
3. Brought in a foreign object to aid their actions; and
4. Tried to initially hide it when they were caught.

More than that, they likely got Bancroft to do the action because they were too gutless to do it themselves through possible peer pressure or toxic team culture.

Palming these actions off as "a bit of dirt on the ball" is garbage. I understand the love for Smith, he's been a brilliant servant of the team...until yesterday. But now he's thrown the Australian Cricket brand in the dirt.

Just wait.

Touring teams for years to come will utter "Australians" and "cheats" in the same sentences. Australian junior players will be sledged by oppositions as playing for a "dirty team". Sponsors will have more weight to pay less to money our team due to PR issues.

But at it's most basic level, I am just staggered that Smith even contemplated cheating, let alone went through with it. That to me shows a player with no integrity whatsoever.

 

[smasha]

Think there has been a massive over reaction and a lot of blokes throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Plenty of other countries have been involved with ball tampering incidents and their players have continued playing. The PC Police need to chill out. So who is with me?

View attachment 474533

Other countries have done it and hidden the penalties under the carpet.

We are Australia,we are strong,we will penalise players but hopefully Smitty cops his wack and comes out of it a better person.

Our team has been personally abused from pillow to post from the outside of the fence and I think it has got to the mentality of the Australian players which caused this knee jerk decision.

 

[Sanguinarius]

He should no longer be captain.

If he doesn't resign himself then he must be sacked.

No issue with him remaining as a batsman, after a suspension but no official leadership role.

 

[craffles]

Far out Faf tampers with the ball and gets a fine only and everyone in here wants smith to hang from the cross?

**** me you are all a bunch of precious petals

 

[Runk]

Did chuckle at the similarities

View attachment 474544

Show me where James blamed the players? He backed them to the hilt. Smith threw Bancroft to the wolves. Hardly alike.

 

[Doss]

Faf probably should have been sacked too.

 

[BACCS]

Clearly can’t continue as captain, but can stay as a player. He’s the best batsman in the world, this incident doesn’t change that. It’s not the best look, but far out it’s like he killed someone on the field given some of these reactions. It certainly won’t affect my enjoyment of cricket, and I’m not going to boo him.

 

[BACCS]

Faf probably should have been sacked too.

But he wasn’t, and do people still see him as a cheat or just the SA captain?

 

[BACCS]

Talks of banning him any longer than a Test are just ridiculous.

 

[Stevi_Tigers]

shit house look by the captain of our country he should get a ban and maybe the captaincy taken off him but thats it. also rich for other nations to have a crack when faf and co have done the same

 

[Freight Train]

Up to a five test ban for all involved, and Smith never to be captain again.

It's harsh, but it needs to be. This is the darkest hour in Australian cricket history.

 

[Gough]

I really really want someone to bring this up in Question Time. That would almost be peak Aussie.

 

[The_Reaper]

I really really want someone to bring this up in Question Time. That would almost be peak Aussie.

Wonder how John Howard would have reacted to this.

 

[Doss]

Wonder how John Howard would have reacted to this.

Would have offered up himself as a replacement for Lyon. Johnnie H hurling down his half tracker, triple bouncing grubbers to ABV would almost make this whole debacle worth the price of admission actually.

 

[Gough]

Would have offered up himself as a replacement for Lyon. Johnnie H hurling down his half tracker, triple bouncing grubbers to ABV would almost make this whole debacle worth the price of admission actually.

I was going to suggest he would have blamed the culture wars but your idea is better.

 

[Richard Pryor]

Wonder how John Howard would have reacted to this.

https://myaccount.news.com.au/sites...ea51e70303ef8a15448626bc856&memtype=anonymous

Former prime minister and cricket tragic John Howard said through a spokesman he “shared the intense disappointment of millions of cricket fans about the incident”. “He believes the process set in train by Cricket Australia was the right one. He awaits the outcome of that process,”

 

[Doss]

I was going to suggest he would have blamed the culture wars but your idea is better.

Yeah, can't believe those chardonnay-sipping lefties who have forced Smith into this.

 

[beta_condition]

Talks of banning him any longer than a Test are just ridiculous.

Is it? This isn;t time for just a small slap on the wrist, it's bloody disgusting.

 

[DaRick]

Is it? This isn;t time for just a small slap on the wrist, it's bloody disgusting.

A one match ban for ball tampering is actually on the severe side. Most players just get fined - even Sachin's ban was suspended.

You could argue that ICC sanctions should be harsher, but given what they are a one match ban for ball-tampering, plus being stripped of the captaincy (which has never happened over ball tampering before to my knowledge), should suffice where Smith is concerned.