Cricket Summer 2017/18

[One eyed pirate]

We are acknowledged as the worst sledgers around but have kept arguing that we just play the game hard but we play it fair.

They have been caught rubbing a foreign object on the ball and that it was premeditated. Certainly the initial reaction was based on the seeming admission that potentially the 5 most senior players in the team had come up with the plan during a break and then tried to get the newest player in the team to carry it out. It does seem that it wasn't all of those people involved and could come out that it was actually just Warner and Bancroft.

This team has gradually made themselves more and more dislikeable with the way they behave and now this has happened. Many fans and commentators have been unhappy with the direction of the culture of this team and now that they have openly cheated it is the final straw.

I also think people see a very substantial distinction between throwing the ball in on the bounce on the square and thinking that certain lollies give your saliva a different characteristic compared with bringing a foreign object onto the field that you intend to scratch the ball with.

They stuffed up and should be charged with ball tampering. Atherton, Faf, philander, Afridi...all pre meditated....and many of their team mates were undoubtedly aware of what was going on. My point is, CA’s, the Australian public and media are blowing this out of proportion and certainly making more of it than South Africa, England and Pakistan would. In fact when Philander and Faf got charged, there countries stood in support and certainly did not talk resignations and bans. Australian tall poppy syndrome?

My point

 

[One eyed pirate]

What if I don’t give a shit if other teams behave equally as bad? I’m not naive and I’m definitely Australian (despite having spent way too long in arabafriasiaeuropistan).

It’s still entitled, pathetic and boorish attitude and actions over a number of years gradually getting worse and worse.

Ok, so when the Australian batsmen get out and have the bowlers sledging them, you think the Australians shouldn’t give some back? You are naive if you think the Australians don’t get it as good as they give it.

 

[Sully]

Australian cricket has been on the nose for a long time. This hard but fair rhetoric we keep hearing is simply a cover-up for acting like dicks on the field. Because of their attitudes, they're on the nose with the Australian public. So is it an over-reaction or an adjustment of the standards we expect from people representing us? These players have been pushing the boundaries of acceptable behaviour since Steve Waugh was captain. It's time for some actual hard but fair play and not the bullshit we have been trotting out for years.

 

[One eyed pirate]

Australian cricket has been on the nose for a long time. This hard but fair rhetoric we keep hearing is simply a cover-up for acting like dicks on the field. Because of their attitudes, they're on the nose with the Australian public. So is it an over-reaction or an adjustment of the standards we expect from people representing us? These players have been pushing the boundaries of acceptable behaviour since Steve Waugh was captain. It's time for some actual hard but fair play and not the bullshit we have been trotting out for years.

I agree. However, I watched all the recent Ashes games, some live, and thought the behaviour was good overall. This talk of bad culture amongst the team is rubbish. I watch the Sth African series and see Sth Africa and the Sth African public! giving it to us. This is a top level sport and you should expect them to stand up for themselves without taking it too far of course. If robada, Faf or philander played for Australia, the media and public would have crucified them over the years past. Yet in Sth Africa, they are seen as hero’s.

 

[Up the Guts]

First of the replacements has been called up:

"Queensland opener Matthew Renshaw has been added to Australia's Test squad and will fly to South Africa following the conclusion of Tuesday's Sheffield Shield final."

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sp...ia-s-troubled-test-squad-20180327-p4z6jy.html

I am glad Renshaw wasn’t caught up in this, he’s a very likeable young character who could be in the Australian team for the next 15 years. Although he may very well have refused to be part of the plan had he been there and been asked, he didn’t cow to authority last year in India when he retired himself hurt against Smith’s orders to go and sit on the toilet.

 

[Sully]

I agree. However, I watched all the recent Ashes games, some live, and thought the behaviour was good overall. This talk of bad culture amongst the team is rubbish. I watch the Sth African series and see Sth Africa and the Sth African public! giving it to us. This is a top level sport and you should expect them to stand up for themselves without taking it too far of course. If robada, Faf or philander played for Australia, the media and public would have crucified them over the years past. Yet in Sth Africa, they are seen as hero’s.

The fact that Channel 9 obligingly turn down the on-field between balls has a lot to do with how lovely our players look. South African tv refused to turn down the on-field mics and the Australian team fumed about it. Another sign that even they weren't proud of their antics.
But we are getting carried away arguing and forgetting my original point. And that is if their behaviour had been better in the past the reaction now would have been less explosive.

 

[cyclopath]

Australian cricket has been on the nose for a long time. This hard but fair rhetoric we keep hearing is simply a cover-up for acting like dicks on the field. Because of their attitudes, they're on the nose with the Australian public. So is it an over-reaction or an adjustment of the standards we expect from people representing us? These players have been pushing the boundaries of acceptable behaviour since Steve Waugh was captain. It's time for some actual hard but fair play and not the bullshit we have been trotting out for years.

Unfortunately "hard but fair" is really much the same as the oft spoken "I just talk the truth" as heard on many reality TV shows which is code for "I say really fuckheaded and offensive things but if I call it the truth it's not my problem". Hard is Bill Woodfull or Stan McCabe wearing them from Larwood or Voce, or Viv Richards facing Lillee and Thomson with a soft cap, or Steve Waugh's 200 in Jamaica. Mouthing off like a gobshite is neither hard nor fair. If you mouth off like a wanker, and you step in your own shit, expect to wear the stink.

 

[PaarlBok]

I agree. However, I watched all the recent Ashes games, some live, and thought the behaviour was good overall. This talk of bad culture amongst the team is rubbish. I watch the Sth African series and see Sth Africa and the Sth African public! giving it to us. This is a top level sport and you should expect them to stand up for themselves without taking it too far of course. If robada, Faf or philander played for Australia, the media and public would have crucified them over the years past. Yet in Sth Africa, they are seen as hero’s.

The South African public havent called the Australian players terrorists.

 

[Brumby Runner]

IMO, Renshaw should have been there from the beginning. I think he's been dealt a pretty poor hand by the coaches/selectors. Assuming all of Smith. Warner and Bancroft have to be replaced immediately, who else might be in line for a call up?

Someone suggested above that Smith might not have been involved in the shenanigans. If that turns out, won't he again look like the ultimate horourable captain offering himself as the sacrificial lamb for his team-mates.

 

[One eyed pirate]

Australian cricket has been on the nose for a long time. This hard but fair rhetoric we keep hearing is simply a cover-up for acting like dicks on the field. Because of their attitudes, they're on the nose with the Australian public. So is it an over-reaction or an adjustment of the standards we expect from people representing us? These players have been pushing the boundaries of acceptable behaviour since Steve Waugh was captain. It's time for some actual hard but fair play and not the bullshit we have been trotting out for years.

This event hasn’t helped but Australian cricket is NOT ‘on the nose’. Have you been to a bbl game? Have you seen the growing rego numbers? Have you seen how much CA just sold the bbl rights to India for? Since bbl started, cricket in Aust has been doing well after a period of decline and that started about 5 years ago.
There are plenty of general and ill informed views on this thread. I’m embarrasssed by this ball tampering incident as a cricket fan but I’m more embarrassed by the way the Aust media, public and CA are responding to our National team. Maybe everyone should ask themselves, who in the Aust Cricket is not a well behaved respectful player. Starc, Cummins, Lyon, Hazelwood, Paine, Marsh, usman, Smith, and even bancroft? Bancroft has made a mistake but he is certainly not apart of some long term decay in the culture of the team. I will acknowledge Warner has a history of being a ‘grub’. So is Australia judging its cricketers based on 1 player? There are plenty more grubs in other teams.

 

[cyclopath]

IMO, Renshaw should have been there from the beginning. I think he's been dealt a pretty poor hand by the coaches/selectors. Assuming all of Smith. Warner and Bancroft have to be replaced immediately, who else might be in line for a call up?

Someone suggested above that Smith might not have been involved in the shenanigans. If that turns out, won't he again look like the ultimate horourable captain offering himself as the sacrificial lamb for his team-mates.

If it could be proved, he might. He also might just look weak, being unable to control the, ahem, less intelligent members of the team. I think this is his biggest problem. If Warner's apparently key role in this is, in fact, the case, it just proves how little Smith can rein him in, and how much of a menace Warner is.

 

[PaarlBok]

This event hasn’t helped but Australian cricket is NOT ‘on the nose’. Have you been to a bbl game? Have you seen the growing rego numbers? Have you seen how much CA just sold the bbl rights to India for? Since bbl started, cricket in Aust has been doing well after a period of decline and that started about 5 years ago.
There are plenty of general and ill informed views on this thread. I’m embarrasssed by this ball tampering incident as a cricket fan but I’m more embarrassed by the way the Aust media, public and CA are responding to our National team. Maybe everyone should ask themselves, who in the Aust Cricket is not a well behaved respectful player. Starc, Cummins, Lyon, Hazelwood, Paine, Marsh, usman, Smith, and even bancroft? Bancroft has made a mistake but he is certainly not apart of some long term decay in the culture of the team. I will acknowledge Warner has a history of being a ‘grub’. So is Australia judging its cricketers based on 1 player? There are plenty more grubs in other teams.

Cricket as a sport is massive in Australia. The public put their trust into the sport. When your senior group of players and coach break that trust, it hurt the supporters of the sport. Its the tip of the iceberg.

South Africa went through the same thing after the Hansie Cronje scandal. Myself love cricket and know if Hansie did what he did, so did anyone else. I will never trust the top structure of cricket ever again.

 

[Up the Guts]

Latest reports/speculation are that Warner devised plan with Bancroft and Smith “foolishly agreed.” None of the other players knew. Warner trying to save himself then threw the other players under the bus saying that “the whole team was in on it,” believing he may have been more likely to escape serious criticism if the whole team was implicated.Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon are fuming and most of the team has claimed they won’t play if Warner is picked in the team (at any time in the future).

Warner will likely never play for Australia again if all this is true. Smith will sit on the sidelines for a while and return as a batsmen and not as a captain. To be fair poor old Stephen probably shouldn’t have ever been made Captain. He’s a bit of an eccentric genius, a brilliant batsmen maybe the best since Bradman, but too on edge to manage people well. Hopefully his time away from the game will relieve some of the pressure he feels is on himself. Strangely probably the best thing that could happen to him at this stage is if he becomes a father so he has some other focus other than cricket in his life.

 

[jimmydubs]

Ok, so when the Australian batsmen get out and have the bowlers sledging them, you think the Australians shouldn’t give some back? You are naive if you think the Australians don’t get it as good as they give it.

Aye two wrongs make a right. I never said they don’t get it as good as they give it. Maybe reread what I wrote.

So it’s ok to act like a fucktard if someone else does? You’re the naive one if you think that’s how grown men behave.

 

[One eyed pirate]

Aye two wrongs make a right. I never said they don’t get it as good as they give it. Maybe reread what I wrote.

So it’s ok to act like a fucktard if someone else does? You’re the naive one if you think that’s how grown men behave.

I acknowledge Warner can act like a ‘fucktard’ but people should also that he has been much up until this series. Is there anyone else you think acts badly in that team?

 

[One eyed pirate]

Latest reports/speculation are that Warner devised plan with Bancroft and Smith “foolishly agreed.” None of the other players knew. Warner trying to save himself then threw the other players under the bus saying that “the whole team was in on it,” believing he may have been more likely to escape serious criticism if the whole team was implicated.Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon are fuming and most of the team has claimed they won’t play if Warner is picked in the team (at any time in the future).

Warner will likely never play for Australia again if all this is true. Smith will sit on the sidelines for a while and return as a batsmen and not as a captain. To be fair poor old Stephen probably shouldn’t have ever been made Captain. He’s a bit of an eccentric genius, a brilliant batsmen maybe the best since Bradman, but too on edge to manage people well. Hopefully his time away from the game will relieve some of the pressure he feels is on himself. Strangely probably the best thing that could happen to him at this stage is if he becomes a father so he has some other focus other than cricket in his life.

Agreed. Steve Smith is a legend of the game. He made a mistake here but it’s disgusting how everyone is throwing him under the bus especially before we know the full story, if we ever do. He is probably the best batsman the world has ever seen since Bradman yet his own country wants to crucify him. Hey Australia, a mistake has been made but stand by your national team in the good times and the bad!

 

[One eyed pirate]

Cricket as a sport is massive in Australia. The public put their trust into the sport. When your senior group of players and coach break that trust, it hurt the supporters of the sport. Its the tip of the iceberg.

South Africa went through the same thing after the Hansie Cronje scandal. Myself love cricket and know if Hansie did what he did, so did anyone else. I will never trust the top structure of cricket ever again.

Hansie was busted for match fixing with connection to bookies! That is much worse than rubbing dirt on the ball with your finger and a piece of tape. As for trusting the hierarchy of cricket, I don’t either. I don’t trust the hierarchy of most sports, business organisations and politics. The public and media are naive to all the bad stuff that happens most of which is never found out. But all this doesn’t mean we should throw our players and coach under the bus.

 

[PaarlBok]

Hansie was busted for match fixing with connection to bookies! That is much worse than rubbing dirt on the ball with your finger and a piece of tape. As for trusting the hierarchy of cricket, I don’t either. I don’t trust the hierarchy of most sports, business organisations and politics. The public and media are naive to all the bad stuff that happens most of which is never found out. But all this doesn’t mean we should throw our players and coach under the bus.

They deserve to be under the bus. The best version of cricket and an excellent series has been derailed first by a spoiled wankers sledging and now cheating.

 

[I like to watch]

Agreed. Steve Smith is a legend of the game. He made a mistake here but it’s disgusting how everyone is throwing him under the bus especially before we know the full story, if we ever do. He is probably the best batsman the world has ever seen since Bradman yet his own country wants to crucify him. Hey Australia, a mistake has been made but stand by your national team in the good times and the bad!

You missed the presser where he admitted guilt?
He deserves punishment,most agree he should be allowed back in after doing some time.

He's not in the same boat as Warner,who will never play for Australia again.

 

[PaarlBok]

Warner was the poison in the team. That we all can agree on. Dont think a bus is big enough to throw him under.