🏏 Fiddling with balls

1 Like

Smith and Warner both banned from international cricket for a year, and Bancroft for nine months. Presumably they’ll still be able to play other cricket, but that will depend on who wants them now. Warner in particular has very rapidly achieved pariah status - I heard a report this morning in which it was mentioned that other Aussie players have said they won’t play in the same team as him.

Warner was apparently very much the instigator of the ball-tampering (and it was sandpaper and not tape that was used), while Smith did nothing to stop it. What a pair of arrogant twats.

4 Likes

The ban includes the IPL. They can only play club cricket.

3 Likes

$1 million IPL Contracts torn up.

That serves them right.

Problem for Somerset as they’d contracted Bancroft.

But the worst is that they clearly LIED in their statement about it being tape.

Unbelievable

No one except CA believes Lehmann knew nothing about it. In the very unlikely event that this is true, how shit does that make him at his job?

Should be a fun atmosphere at the test on Friday with seriously embarrassed Aussie fans and rightly angry Saffers. Fuck him.

2 Likes

Also heard the question of who knew what asked of any of the bowlers that came into contact with a ball with sandpaper marks on it.

Surely they all knew?

1 Like

Outside of Australia, i’m sure all cricket fans are secretly loving this :laughing:

4 Likes
1 Like

David Warner should be force fed his silly fucking moustache, boiled alive and his head mounted on a stump to warn others. Surely?

2 Likes

Good piece here from the Grauniad.

3 Likes

“It is not clear why, if this was really the first time the team had cheated in this way, the South African cameramen say they were tipped off to keep an eye out,”

I hadn’t heard that before.

2 Likes

Good rant by Lehman’s predecessor about the Aussie Team culture

1 Like

They remind me of Leeds United in the 70’s, plenty of talent but resorting to dirty tactics with a win at any cost mentality. Perhaps this will also see an end to sledging? Surely no place for it in what is supposed to be a gentleman’s game?

1 Like

Except that people I’ve heard talking about this on the radio regard it as another potential nail in the coffin of test cricket.

Speaking as someone who couldn’t give a stuff about cricket, it doesn’t really bother me.

Smith breaks down in press conference and cries like a little girl. What a ponce. FFS the over reaction from all parties to this is astounding. They roughed up a ball and got caught, that’s it. Punishment dished out and that’s the end of the matter. No need for any lynchings, no need for any gobshite social media bollocks and no need to cry like a pussy in front of the cameras and talk about stains on national identities. It’s a fucking cricket ball, not a national disaster, FFS.

And off we go again. After our riproaring performance in Jockland (Think we were actually fooled by the fact the Sun shone)

ODI vs The Sandpaperers starts today.

Will this be a much needed respite from learning which England players fancy whom in Love Island? Or another reason to scratch our balls in bemusement?

1 Like

Hmm one bowler short of a full load?

Shows how well Stokes balances the ODI team if one of our bowlers gets the treatment

PLAYER ROLE
JJ Roy Batsman
JM Bairstow Batsman
AD Hales Batsman
JE Root Batsman
EJG Morgan © Batsman
JC Buttler † Wicketkeeper
MM Ali Allrounder
DJ Willey Allrounder
LE Plunkett Bowler
AU Rashid Bowler
MA Wood Bowler

WICKET Head c Bairstow b Willey 5 (Aus 7-1)

1 Like

WICKET

Finch c Wood b Moeen 19 (Aus 47-2)