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Baggy Green ball tampering: Bancroft, Smith and the Aussie "Leadership Group"

StephenZA

Hall of Fame Member
I feel sorry for Smith, Bancroft and even Warner ( even if I don't like his belligerance).... They ****ed up but that is not what they are being punished for, they are being punished to make a statement because CA, team management and coach have created a toxic culture and now they are using these guys to scapegoat rather than accept responsibility themselves.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
People kept telling me I'd be more okay with the twelve month ban as more details came out and I could wrestle with it more, but nah **** that. I'm not a huge Steve Smith fan (I prefer Kane, tbh) and I barely qualify as an Australian cricket fan at all beyond being Australian and a cricket fan, but this ban ****ing sucks. I wouldn't let him captain 5th grade but not letting him play at all for a year is just feeling more and more like nothing more than fresh meat for the rabid dogs in the media.
 
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StephenZA

Hall of Fame Member
People kept telling me I'd be more okay with the twelve month ban as more details came out and I could wrestle with it more, but nah **** that. I'm not a huge Steve Smith fan (I prefer Kane, tbh) and I barely qualify as an Australian cricket fan at all beyond being Australian and a cricket fan, but this ban ****ing sucks. I wouldn't let him captain 5th grade but not letting him play at all for a year is just feeling more and more like nothing more than fresh meat for the rabid dogs in the media.
This whole debacle has turned into a huge PR exercise... and the players are being treated as cannon fodder; while the generals who caused the problem stand hidden behind the lines.
 

Gnske

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
People kept telling me I'd be more okay with the twelve month ban as more details came out and I could wrestle with it more, but nah **** that. I'm not a huge Steve Smith fan (I prefer Kane, tbh) and I barely qualify as an Australian cricket fan at all beyond being Australian and a cricket fan, but this ban ****ing sucks. I wouldn't let him captain 5th grade but not letting him play at all for a year is just feeling more and more like nothing more than fresh meat for the rabid dogs in the media.
Aye. Punishment was warranted, and for me 12 months is the very upper limit of acceptability in my own sh**ty view. But the fact Sutherland has done these sanctions to be proportionate to the outrage and the apparently measurable and yet somewhat intangible damage it has done is filthy to me.
 

DriveClub

International Regular
I still don't understand the whole over reaction to this. Are the australian public and media so up their a**e? What a bunch of casuals, feel really bad for Smith. He doesn't deserve to cry for such a non-issue.
 

ajdude

International Coach
this is actually the first time i've ever seen spd smith as a human being and not just a robot put on this planet to score billions of runs
 

Gnske

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I still don't understand the whole over reaction to this. Are the australian public and media so up their a**e? What a bunch of casuals, feel really bad for Smith. He doesn't deserve to cry for such a non-issue.
I think the casuals are driven by the jingoistic outrage more than anything, same with the media. Unfortunately that's very powerful.
 

Adders

Cricketer Of The Year
You just know this an awful and serious situation when you are getting serious posts out of Gnske.
 

TheJediBrah

Request Your Custom Title Now!
I'm still confident it will be reduced significantly with an appeal, for Smith at least. I can't imagine it sticking. Maybe I'm just in denial.
 

Gnske

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I'm still confident it will be reduced significantly with an appeal, for Smith at least. I can't imagine it sticking. Maybe I'm just in denial.
I dunno man, I had the same thought when the sanctions were announced.

I don't think CA can wait til next March to get Smith back.

Warner's actions will be interesting, prepared for a real stink as the epilogue to this whole affair.
 

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