Dude, I loath Sarfraz Nawaz, he was my MP for a while and I won’t piss on him to put out a fire. That said, as he and Imran and other expert practitioners have said, deliberately tampering with the ball is less effective then simply properly preparing it legally and unlike when Sarfraz was playing, its well known. Unlike Atherton in 1995 (has he spoken out yet), Smith et al would have know this.
So, what were they thinking?
Before the current series the Australian team were skiting that they would end careers, and they thought they would go to South Africa and try and ‘mentally disintegrate’ the Saffas.
All that has happened is that Smith has trashed his reputation and shown himself to be a pissweak leader.
My instincts tell me that Davey Warner is at the center of all of this mess. Based on nothing but completely unfounded speculation and the fact I don’t like him:
Warner is the usual ball polisher/handler, and has probably been working the ball for quite some time.
During the second test, he was accused of tampering by the South Africans because of the unusual hand strapping he had.
Because of the above, and the first test antics, Warner (and possibly Lehmann, who has been awful for team culture) and Smith decided that the heat was too close to Warner, so gave the newest and least secure member of the team the job of working the ball.
I agree with Greedy Smurf above and I don’t know about bans for life etc when there are other incidents that are well known. As for Sarfraz, if my memory serves me correctly didn’t he once have Hilditch out handled ball after Hilditch stopped the ball and returned it to Sarfraz? Technically quite correct.
Sydney University conducted a “Bring Sandpaper to Uni Day” today.
Attracted quite a crowd of participants. Best in Show award went to the bod who brought a 10" orbital sander.
Latest comments about repercussions indicate both Smith and Warner will be barred from leadership roles in CA teams indefinitely (presumably Test and First Class) and a 12 month playing ban, longer is still quite possible.
Darren Lehmann reportedly set to resign as manager in the next 24 hours.
Smith has already lost his IPL captaincy of the Rajasthan Royals. Warner’s leadership of IPL’s Sunrisers Hyderabad is on dodgy ground, as indeed are both their entire multi-miillion IPL contracts.
Smith’s sponsorship deal with Sanitarium is gone. At this rate they’ll need to buy their own bats if they grace the centre wicket area again.
Matt Renshaw is flying to SA, presumably to play, in the 4th Test. Thought Joe Burns might have got a seat as well.
… and there’s plenty to come.
Credit where credit is due.
Katich was arcing up about Captain Clarke bunking off to bonk Bingle.
Plenty of players have lost a lot less for not totally different offences, but I guess these guys are worth around $50 million so they could retire now anyway. However it seems blood is required.
PS. Qld won the Sheffield Shield final.
These guys have cost Cricket Australia $300 million per annum in broadcast rights. That a lot of spondule which won’t find it’s way to the grass roots.
You care to name anybody else in that league, ignoring the egregious actions themselves?
Of course I can’t At the moment I am trying to put the actions in perspective- not justify them- but the counter argument is that that cash would not have been generated without the success- patchy as it may have been- by Australian Cricket teams. Without the success of the teams from Taylor through to Ponting the grass roots would be receiving far less than they are/ were getting.
It seems now a lot of people are wanting to hang those - Smith, Lehmann, and Warner (lesser extent Bancroft) because the media is telling them they need to be upset.
The underam incident has been frequently mentioned here and was lamentable. In 12 months time this will be remembered but not with outrage being shown by the lynch mobs- especially online.
Ain’t no lynch mob here, we’ve got due cause and the varmints pleaded guilty.
The stories emerging now put Warner right in the middle of this, and a massive rift between him and the other players. I think he might have done his dash.
This reminds me of the pious yelps when Muhammad Amir came back. Yes he wronged, but was punished and at the end of the day, its a cricket match not a fucking war crime.
Marlon Samuels was caught taking bribes and betting, was banned for two years, came back and has been Man of the Match in 2 of the last 3 ICC World T20 finals. Can’t always banish people for good.
Wait until word gets out that the actual plan, hatched by the leadership group, was to use the stumps to stab Amla and Markram to death while the umpires and cameras were all focused on Bancroft’s pants. They then hoped to dismiss the murders as “just a bit of banter.”
Update
Smith, Warner, Bancroft to leave S Africa. Lehmann et al to stay.
If Cricket Australia are to be believed.
*The Head Coach knew nothing
*The conspiracy was hatched by three batsmen, none of the Aussie bowlers knew. :dubious:
Well I say that is
Bullshit!
Tim Paine is the new captain. Incidentally, has anyone ever been sacked as captain during a match before in Test history?
Got my third email broadcast from Sutherland (in 4 days!)
The initial outcomes and actions are as follows:
A slow crawl back to the moral high ground begins. Wonderful how the loss of $300mil and the PM putting a flea in his ear concentrates the mind of a CEO.
Methinks that when next SDMB’s sports editor extraordinaire Novelty Bobble seeks a new comment from Stuart Broad on these latest development Broad will keep his trap shut!
If he doesn’t want to abide by the laws of this game, then I’d welcome his return to play in another game.
We aren’t questioning their hand-eye co-ordination.
I have to wonder whether Lehmann is spared to avoid another Mickey Arthur fiasco (whose career Warner killed as well). Sure Warner may tip a bucket of shit on everyone still, but he has lost all credibility.
Homeworkgate, which ended Arthur’s stint as coach occurred on the 2012-13 Australian tour of India.
The refusniks were Shane Watson, James Pattinson, Mitchell Johnson and Usman Khawaja.
Dave Warner wasn’t in the squad.
Sounds like a reasonable alternative to a few more hours in a small room with a bunch of sweaty men. (I though Clarke was trying to get them to move on to the drinks he’d organised for Hayden’s retirement).
I guess Tim Paine gets the captaincy by dint of seniority; I still don’t think he should have been in the team at all, seems like a wasted opportunity
I still know people who are dirty on Sarfraz for this, but I can never figure out why. I can’t see any reason for a batsman ever touching or picking up the ball - it’s not backyard cricket 
Smith and Warner - 1 year bans from International, Sheffield Shield and BBL cricket.
Bancroft - 9 months ban from same.
Warner to never be considered for a leadership position in Australian representative teams again. Smith and Bancroft not to be considered for a further year after their respective bans are up.
Independently, the IPL have barred Smith and Warner from this year’s tournament.
Can see Smith coming up here on a county deal, to be honest. One of the few places he’d continue to earn money, plus good prep for next Ashes, if selected (especially considering he scored heavily on the two flat pitches that were prepared here last time out, but struggled on the pitches offering lateral movement).