3rd Test: South Africa v Australia at Newlands, Capetown, March 22-26, 2018

[JJ]

In all seriousness this is really sad - the Australian cricket team is iconic, and they've set themselves up as above this. For every wanker El Diablo type (where is he, by the way? LOL), there are genuine cricket lovers who believe in this team (many that post here regularly), and expect them to compete, and mostly win.

For the senior players to decide they can't, then hatch a plan to cheat and pick out the most junior player to it is scarcely believable - if Smith or Warner had any integrity they would have not done this in the first place and stepped down of their own accord.

Most of us didn't buy the not crossing lines, hard but fair, moral high ground stance that Aust teams had adopted - they seem to think they set the lines, and decide when they're crossed or not... which is absolute bullshit of course, and now Smith's comments about this collective misjudgement, and his leadership etc show how out of touch they are.

be interesting to see what Cricket Australia do - I think we fully accept that players can do the wrong things on the fly, but this has a different feel.

Of course Australian cricket teams have never been perfect, but they have been great, and the Australian public expects them to simultaneously be great whilst maintaining some integrity - the underarms caused a shit-storm, Rixon's "misjudgement/cheating" ended his career - both one-off decisions made by individuals under pressure... this is a collective failure of leadership in the Australian set up - the coaches and captain v/c roles are, I think, untenable,

 

[vvvrulz]

So the ICC have handed down a one test ban for Smith and loss of demerit points for Bancroft.

That's a tired slap on the wrist at best.

 

[hineyrulz]

So the ICC have handed down a one test ban for Smith and loss of demerit points for Bancroft.

That's a tired slap on the wrist at best.

Pathetic, but did you really expect anything else???

 

[vvvrulz]

Pathetic, but did you really expect anything else???

If it had been anyone out of the Big Three it would have been given the seriousness it deserves, it's just a sad and pathetic state when corrupt and biased governance is running this show.

This sort of lunacy sets a dangerous precedence, especially since the umpires bizarrely kept playing with the tampered ball. If this only lands a one-match ban (if caught), what's to stop future players doing a Suarez and 'patriotically' taking one for the team?

 

[Cherry_poppins]

I see Shane Warne has said cheating is un-Australian - too funny, can Simone have him deported?

Warnie's mum was the real villain

Making him milkshakes

 

[Cherry_poppins]

Don't you hate it when the neighbours get on their high lamb and whine more about that one family of Aussie shitmerkins who chucked an underarm ball together?

Now they have a bug eyed ponce and a bogan from ctown to whine about too

 

[hineyrulz]

I see Shane Warne has said cheating is un-Australian - too funny, can Simone have him deported?

It’s only Un- Australian to get caught.

Warne really is as dumb as dog shit.

 

[hineyrulz]

Warnie's mum was the real villain

Making him milkshakes

She is now in the horse racing industry.

 

[hineyrulz]

What a pathetic limp wristed display by our batting group.

Weak as piss, way to try and win back the public.

 

[TheParraboy]

So the ICC have handed down a one test ban for Smith and loss of demerit points for Bancroft.

That's a tired slap on the wrist at best.

Michael Holding made a good point ( many of us mentioned it here) without mentioning names he along the lines said the penalty has to be consistent or the same as it has been for the same offences in the past, no matter where your from , from what country, you can’t penalise smith and co badly where slap on the wrists were given in the past. I agree with him

However, What CA will do I’m not sure but I think Smith will lose the captaincy, already has for this test that in itself was demeaning for him (Lucky faf didn’t play for aus)

We don’t play another test for a while so we don’t need to rush the penalty but I dare say Smith won’t be captain. That might filter to all formats of the game.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Smith retired. The backlash has been enormous. May get to a point he just thinks he doesn’t need this anymore.

 

[Tommy Smith]

Wow 107 all out.

You're a loooong way from the roads at home where you didn't lose 20 wickets in a single Ashes test!

 

[TheParraboy]

What a pathetic limp wristed display by our batting group.

Weak as piss, way to try and win back the public.

I’m glad I didn’t stay up to watch it, other than to see who would open the batting. Kinda hoping Paine and Mitch Marsh would lol , just joking.

AB called it prior play. Said SA already had enough runs and predicted Australia would crumble due to not having the right head space because of what went on.

We need to get AB back in the Aussie set up. Bring in tugger and punter (he is there for t20) in some capacity. Also if he is able bring back bobby Simpson.

We need a shake up at the top and the coaching level if we are to move forward, punishing smith and warner badly won’t cut it until some nite it’s at the higher end of the scale are booted

 

[Eelectrica]

Hope we can bring in Jason Gillespie as our head coach after all this. Let's get some good out of this disaster.
Has Smith learned anything yet?

 

[JJ]

You're a loooong way from the roads at home where you didn't lose 20 wickets in a single Ashes test!

LOL - yeah, just a quick look:

Khawaja averages 59.38 in Aust, 24.88 away. Smith 77.25 in Aust and 53.5 away, Warner 59.64 in Aust and 36.75 away... Smith is still amazing, but the disaparity is telling, and Khawaja becomes a plod, and Warner becomes very average

Imagine how good some players records would look if they got to play half their tests on those highways, and didn't have to face the Australian attacks...

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Wow 107 all out.

You're a loooong way from the roads at home where you didn't lose 20 wickets in a single Ashes test!

58

 

[umina panther]

Wow 107 all out.

You're a loooong way from the roads at home where you didn't lose 20 wickets in a single Ashes test!

Your pissweak medium pace bowling attack was the issue there

 

[AlwaysGreen]

LOL - yeah, just a quick look:

Khawaja averages 59.38 in Aust, 24.88 away. Smith 77.25 in Aust and 53.5 away, Warner 59.64 in Aust and 36.75 away... Smith is still amazing, but the disaparity is telling, and Khawaja becomes a plod, and Warner becomes very average

Imagine how good some players records would look if they got to play half their tests on those highways, and didn't have to face the Australian attacks...

NZ would still be shit.

 

[Timbo]

I see Stuart Broad remains a wanker.

 

[JJ]

NZ would still be shit.

some batting records would get better though

 

[Tommy Smith]

Your pissweak medium pace bowling attack was the issue there

The bowling didn't help but as JJ pointed out the overall disparity between home vs away averages of most Aussies bats is enormous.

It applies to most batsmen; but to that degree?

Australia scored 600 odd declared in two Ashes tests didn't they? With M Marsh being made to look like Doug Walters.

But they go overseas and get rolled for 107.

Btw those same military medium English pacemen bowled Australia out for 50 at Trent Bridge.

Again, the disparity would apply to many batsmen but these Aussie batsmen suffer overseas so much because they bat on what are, hands down, the flattest and most benign wickets at home.