So Ashamed of Our Cheating Cricket team

[truckjohn]

How about this for a trade.

You send us the whole lot of this horrible cheating and completely unforgivable Australian cricket team and we will return the favor by sending you America's finest mob of whining, protesting, loud mouth, money grubbing. anthem sitting football players and we will call it even.

I am pretty confident you won't *catch* our fellows cheating.

[ian]

They should all be banned for life.

would be far better to pressure the team's sponsors to withdraw their financial support.
That would bring player salaries back to more normal levels.

[FenceFurniture]

LG have already dropped David Warner like a hot potato, and as far as the rest of the Cricket team is concerned he's about as welcome as a t*rd in a swimming pool apparently. Said to my son today that whatever ban he is given, unofficially it will be "your entire career is over bucko". I would think the Cricket Australia are very jaded from having to constantly maintain him (going back to 2013 to the Joe Root incident in England).

[Twisted Tenon]

Their IPL contracts are under scrutiny too.

TT

[ian]

LG have already dropped David Warner like a hot potato, and as far as the rest of the Cricket team is concerned he's about as welcome as a t*rd in a swimming pool apparently.

I was thinking more along the lines of cricket lovers pressuring the sponsors to remove their support from the entire team, not just individual players.

The game after all is a team sport, not a bunch of individuals -- and as commented on the ABC's website (I think) there ain't no way that any player is going to "work" the ball without the bowler's express knowledge and permission.

[barri]

As a cricket lover I am ashamed, embarrassed and angry like everybody else but as a proud father of two sons and taking a different slant on things I feel for Steve Smith's parents. What their son has done is not only possibly career destroying but life changing. Every time he goes into bat from now on he will be booed, taunted and ridiculed. Can you imagine the barmy army and their singing? What about when he sits in a cafe in Sydney as millions do and people stare, snigel, snarl and maybe taunt. He also stands to lose millions in sponsorship, player fees and future employment. As Trevor Chappel says the underarm incident haunts him to this very day and this included a failed marriage. With my father's hat on again I worry about Steve's mental health and I hope his family and professionals can give him the support that he needs and he's going to need it. I hope one day he can be forgiven and this terrible mistake that we are all furious about doesn't destroy him.

[ian]

I understand what you are saying Barri.
Yes, Steve Smith, and Bancroft and Warner, need our support in respect to their mental health.

Personally, I don't give a toss about him (and the others?) losing millions in sponsorship. For me it's less than tough titty.
In part my attitude is influenced by the common view that "ordinary kids" with degrees and such are expected to plan for a life where no job is permanent and their careers change every 5 years or so, while a tiny handful of "sports people" can be set up for life through 3 to 7 years of playing on the national or international stage. It is our affection for the team and loyalty to the sport that leads to the sponsors and broadcasters dropping big money onto the team which in turn leads to some members of the team being paid better than a banker at Macquarie.

[Spyro]

I'm not Australian, well, not born Australian anyway. Being brought up in the super-dirty culture of Greek football (and politics, and business, and a bunch of other things), I was always amazed at how shocked Australians are when faced with corruption, cheating and general unfairness and injustice. I've become numb to it, like most people where I come from, and it's not good. Keep being the way you are, it's one of the things that makes this country great.

[BobL]

I'm not Australian, well, not born Australian anyway. Being brought up in the super-dirty culture of Greek football (and politics, and business, and a bunch of other things), I was always amazed at how shocked Australians are when faced with corruption, cheating and general unfairness and injustice. I've become numb to it, like most people where I come from, and it's not good. Keep being the way you are, it's one of the things that makes this country great.

I agree. Italy is similarly corrupt, especially in sport, and they have been doing it for thousands of years. In Italy, cheats who succeed are often admired and called "Furbo" (pronounced "foorbo") those that caught are called "fools", not for cheating but for getting caught. It seems to be all about getting one over on everybody else which really sticks in my craw. It shows what long term cheating leads to in society.

[derekcohen]

I am deeply saddened by the events. This is not just about the players involved, but it affects everyone who has supported our Aussie team. We all lose ... our pride, self esteem, integrity. The narcississm of the players involved, which made them believe they were invincible and beyond the rules that govern ordinary people, have woken from this with a shock, and must now suffer anxiety for their futures, depression for the loss of a life-to-be, and anger for their senseless action. Their parents and families will share in all this. We, as a nation, do similarly as they are our role models (I so agree with Ian that we have the order of achievement back-to-front ... where muscle is valued way beyond brain).

But ... memories are short. Within a year all will be a distant memory, and money will continue to be thrown at players, and their narcissism will continue to be fed. The players involved will be welcomed back into the fold as the public are needy for the association with winners, and at heart we all accept cheating ... just as long as no one is caught. That is really at the heart of what is happening at present ... we knew what was going on (that our team sledge and act in a disgraceful way), and we averted our eyes (no one spoke up before now) ... as we do with so much else that goes on in the world.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[BobL]

Before we all continue to cast more stones, here's a challenging perspective from Stan Grant.
Australia's cheating scandal is about more than cricket - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

He suggests it is a result of "Hyper-individualism" , and am increasingly tending to that view myself.
"That's why the ball tampering scandal has hit so hard: I suspect people don't feel simply betrayed by the cricketers but by a system that has created such pampered, globe-trotting sporting cheats."

The next big question is who created the system. Essentially we all do in some small way or other. Whether is allowing ourselves to be manipulated into or deliberated voting for corrupt pollies, or paying the big $$ to attend mega entertainment (including sports) events, or even watching entertainment sport on media, it all adds up to creating the system. Most people have no clue what they end up supporting or creating when they do certain things, some in the innocent name of what they call fun.

[Spyro]

But ... memories are short. Within a year all will be a distant memory, and money will continue to be thrown at players, and their narcissism will continue to be fed. The players involved will be welcomed back into the fold as the public are needy for the association with winners, and at heart we all accept cheating ... just as long as no one is caught. That is really at the heart of what is happening at present ... we knew what was going on (that our team sledge and act in a disgraceful way), and we averted our eyes (no one spoke up before now) ... as we do with so much else that goes on in the world.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I suspect the barmy army will make a nice chant about it and remind us for decades to come

[Twisted Tenon]

Before we all continue to cast more stones, here's a challenging perspective from Stan Grant.
Australia's cheating scandal is about more than cricket - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

He suggests it is a result of "Hyper-individualism" , and am increasingly tending to that view myself.
"That's why the ball tampering scandal has hit so hard: I suspect people don't feel simply betrayed by the cricketers but by a system that has created such pampered, globe-trotting sporting cheats."

The next big question is who created the system. Essentially we all do in some small way or other. Whether is allowing ourselves to be manipulated into or deliberated voting for corrupt pollies, or paying the big $$ to attend mega entertainment (including sports) events, or even watching entertainment sport on media, it all adds up to creating the system. Most people have no clue what they end up supporting or creating when they do certain things, some in the innocent name of what they call fun.

BobL
Several factors happening here. Firstly I disagree with the "individuality" thing. I think it is about our desire to project ourselves onto the Aussie cricket team in the first place. Why do that? They are just sportsmen, not cancer research specialists or heart transplant surgeons. They get their training tax free too. What do these sportsmen actually contribute to Australian society?

Secondly, who created it? Agree, we bought into it, but what did we buy? Something to do with the sizzle sold by market research? If Derek is right, wait for the renaissance stories for Smith and Bancroft. Lots of opp eds about them helping "disadvantaged kids" attain their dreams etc.
Also watch for the demonisation of Warner. He will carry the stigma of a Judas - poor schmuck.

While we're at it, How come we are sending our athletes to the Olympics and world cups knowing that FIFA and the Olympic Federation are two of the most corrupt organisations in the world. Don't get me started on boxing and car racing.

Finally, I never thought I would say this, but I agree with Shane Warne here.

TT

[BobL]

BobL

Several factors happening here. Firstly I disagree with the "individuality" thing. I think it is about our desire to project ourselves onto the Aussie cricket team in the first place. Why do that? They are just sportsmen, not cancer research specialists or heart transplant surgeons.

I think maybe you are referring to the embarrassment or shame felt by the Oz public? If so, I don't really worry about that. I referring to why highly paid sports people cheat in the first place. They are either desperate to win or do it because they think they way above everyone else and can get away with it. That's what I mean by hyper individualism.

What do these sportsmen actually contribute to Australian society

I guess it depends on who you talk to.
There's talk that international sport helps prevent conflicts between countries - from what I can see it seems to fuel international conflict.
If the alternative to paying for a high priced sports event prevents large numbers of sports followers from taking drugs I guess there's some value in that.
The owners of pay TV sport would say they pay their fair share of tax.
An economist or poly would say sports people create large amounts of turn over or economic activity which is good for the country. The fact that the money could be put into more useful economic activity or even healthy low level participatory sport is not considered.
Psychologists and counsellors might say sports people create useful role models for young people to aspire to? Humm I agree there's quite a number of those but the few cheats and drug takers that are identified might just cancel them out.
High level organised sport (including the cheating and corruption) is just another way of harvesting the public of it's entertainment budget.
Some players help charities , operate charitable trusts, attend junior and amateur sports events and promos - OTOH some trusts are not quite what they are cracked up to be.
Not sure where the balance in all this lays - I'd like to think it's positive but when you see the money some make, well . . . . . .

I agree that the FIFA and the Olympic movement is corrupt.
Just another reason I no longer follow any organised sport like I used to.

[BobL]

From the ABC website;

We asked our audience on ABC News on Messenger what they thought of the bans Cricket Australia handed out to the players involved in the ball-tampering scandal which has sponsors fleeing.Smith and Warner each got year-long bans from international and domestic cricket, with Cameron Bancroft getting nine months. They'll each have to do 100 hours of voluntary service in community cricket.
With over 1,000 votes tallied up, 38 per cent of our Messenger users thought the punishments were fitting, 35 per cent though they should have been harsher, and 27 per cent believed they were too harsh.

Interesting spread. My guess is that those that would have responded would be sports followers and non sports followers might not be so kind?