The Cricket Thread

[Bully Wee Villa]

Took him long enough.

[Ro Sham Bo]

I see Smith is now getting the sympathy vote after bawling his eyes out during his press conference.

[topcat(The most tip top)]

Emergency Episode of Andy Zaltzman and Jarrod Kimber's previously defunct podcast "The Cricket Sadist Hour"
 

Edited March 29, 2018 by topcat(The most tip top)

[H Wragg]

I’m not an expert on the finer etiquette of cricket, but here goes.

 

In individual sports, like golf and snooker off the top of my head, cheating is seriously frowned upon, to the extent it’s kind of sine died material if you’re up to no good.

 

In football players cheat all the time and nobody gives a shit.

 

“If I feel contact, I’m going down” being a prime example as well as players claiming for a corner/thrown in when they know the ball came off them last.

 

I would equate cricket more to football with sledging your opponent to attempt to put him off and fielding sides shouting for a wicket when fully aware it’s no such thing being a regular occurence, so why is this thing such a big deal?

 

I’m genuinely looking to be educated here.

 

[mjw]

A batsman has less than a second to judge the ball coming at him and pick his shot.
When they start messing around with the ball he's going to be at more of a disadvantage. It's happened a few times before (as a lot of Aussie are quick to point out) but the planning that went into this is what stands out.
Especially by the hardest but fairest team in the world.

[Jmothecat2]

I’m not an expert on the finer etiquette of cricket, but here goes.
 
In individual sports, like golf and snooker off the top of my head, cheating is seriously frowned upon, to the extent it’s kind of sine died material if you’re up to no good.
 
In football players cheat all the time and nobody gives a shit.
 
“If I feel contact, I’m going down” being a prime example as well as players claiming for a corner/thrown in when they know the ball came off them last.
 
I would equate cricket more to football with sledging your opponent to attempt to put him off and fielding sides shouting for a wicket when fully aware it’s no such thing being a regular occurence, so why is this thing such a big deal?
 
I’m genuinely looking to be educated here.
 

I think because it was premeditated, discussed before hand and apparently came from the leadership group, makes it worse. It isn't as though the bowler saw an opportunity to cheat in the moment and took that opportunity on a whim. They deliberately orchestrated the plan, at least 2 different people were invoked (probably more, with others knowing it was going on but closing to stay quiet). Tampering with the bowl gives them a physical advantage as well. Trying to con a referee in football isn't exactly good to watch from a fair play perspective but it doesn't necessarily give them a physical advantage to the tools they are working with. Then there's the whole 'it's just not cricket' aspect. Then there is the fact it was done by the Aussies, a widely disliked team who have appointed themselves as the moral arbiters of the sport. Seeing them knocked off their smug, holier than thou, podium is more than a little satisfying. People want blood.

[Savage Henry]

Also, cricket is inherently conservative, both tactically and administratively. The slightly hyperbolic reaction reflects a long standing sanctimony within the game.

 

In terms of the actual crime, taking sandpaper to the ball is probably akin to the Colorado Rockies storing some balls in a humidor in order to effect their flight distances, or New England’s deflate-gate. It’s no little incident.

 

[topcat(The most tip top)]

I’m not an expert on the finer etiquette of cricket, but here goes.
 
In individual sports, like golf and snooker off the top of my head, cheating is seriously frowned upon, to the extent it’s kind of sine died material if you’re up to no good.
 
In football players cheat all the time and nobody gives a shit.
 
“If I feel contact, I’m going down” being a prime example as well as players claiming for a corner/thrown in when they know the ball came off them last.
 
I would equate cricket more to football with sledging your opponent to attempt to put him off and fielding sides shouting for a wicket when fully aware it’s no such thing being a regular occurence, so why is this thing such a big deal?
 
I’m genuinely looking to be educated here.
 

Footballers cheat all the time but there’s still lines you don’t expect people to cross

People get injured by heavy challenges all the time but when Roy Keane said in his book that he’d deliberately injured Alf Inge Haaland the incident became something beyond normal rule-bending and gamesmanship.

“I’d waited long enough. I fucking hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you c**t.”

Obviously it’s not an exact parallel but the Australian ball tampering is that sort of cheating.

[pandarilla]

I see Smith is now getting the sympathy vote after bawling his eyes out during his press conference.

Yeah it looked a wee bit too staged for my liking. Difficult to say, but my instinct says they were laying it on thick.

Wouldn't be surprised to see the next scandal as Lehman rubbing his eyes with onion juice just before the press conference.

[btb]

5 hours ago, Ro Sham Bo said:

I see Smith is now getting the sympathy vote after bawling his eyes out during his press conference.

It'll be the thought of all those contracts he's lost!

[Mastermind]

I see Smith is now getting the sympathy vote after bawling his eyes out during his press conference.

Embarrassing from him. An absolute melt.

[Ro Sham Bo]

Yeah it looked a wee bit too staged for my liking. Difficult to say, but my instinct says they were laying it on thick.

Wouldn't be surprised to see the next scandal as Lehman rubbing his eyes with onion juice just before the press conference.

Embarrassing from him. An absolute melt.

Yeah you can never be certain in these situations but it's hard not to take a cynical view of it after all that's gone on. He's in a worse state than Michael Clarke was when he did his Phil Hughes press conference.

[Jmothecat2]

I'm in a minority but I did feel a bit sorry for him, he looked genuinely broken to me. I've never taken to him, he's obviously very talented but I always found him irritating, and he has done wrong and deserves to be punished for it but it isn't easy seeing someone have their livelihood taken away from them for a year, in such a public way.

[mjw]

Compare his reaction though to Warner hiding behind his family and I know who I've more respect for.

[Savage Henry]

I'm in a minority but I did feel a bit sorry for him, he looked genuinely broken to me. I've never taken to him, he's obviously very talented but I always found him irritating, and he has done wrong and deserves to be punished for it but it isn't easy seeing someone have their livelihood taken away from them for a year, in such a public way.

 

He has a uniquely Australian punchable face. But it’s clear that he’s going through an awful time. That’s partly of his own making, but only partly.

 

I suspect that the first he knew of this was when he saw it unfold on the field. Put in that situation, he could either throw Bancroft under the bus in front of an international audience, or he could try and cover it up.

 

David Warner has an awful lot to answer for. It’s noticeable that he’s received absolutely zero sympathy from anyone. He’s going to be the one everyone wants to hear from, and it’s noticeable that he’s the one taking legal advice before speaking to the press.

 

Edit: an excellent read by Mickey Arthur.

https://www.playersvoice.com.au/mickey-arthur-truth-about-aussie-cricket-culture/

[Mr. Brightside]

I like Smith, but it is hard to know who really was the instigator in this situation. I doubt Smith would be that stupid and it does seem like something Warner would do, however his whole "leadership team" pish, if to be believed makes him complicit. However I would agree with SH's assessment that he is trying to cover it up and didn't know too much about it and was protecting Bancroft whilst also trying to implicate Warner, because if the blame fell solely at Bancroft's feet he would've been finished.
f**k Warner though.

[Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo]

Was looking forward to some live cricket, but it has already been ruined by the c***s singing in the crowd. Please stop.

[Savage Henry]

Was looking forward to some live cricket, but it has already been ruined by the c***s singing in the crowd. Please stop.

To be fair, England are batting, so you’ll only have to put up with it for 45 minutes.

[Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo]

6 minutes ago, Savage Henry said:

 

To be fair, England are batting, so you’ll only have to put up with it for 45 minutes.

 

Good chance the singers will have to bat before then. Cook gone on his crease. Stoneman looks like I'd give him problems. Vince in now. Fun and games ahoy.

[Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo]

I hope England never score another 4 ever again. I'm cancelling my subscription if Sky don't do something about this. 

ETA: I've now got a '4 more to the Engerland' Earworm. c***s.

Edited March 29, 2018 by Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo