Steve Smith is facing the prospect of being sacked as captain of Australia after admitting to orchestrating a ball-tampering scheme on Day 3 of the third Test between South Africa and Australia in Cape Town.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has initiated an investigation saying he was “shocked and extremely disappointed”. The Australian Sports Commission, the government agency responsible for Australian sport, said Smith should be removed as captain immediately.
“Given the admission by Australian captain Steve Smith, the ASC calls for him to be stood down immediately by Cricket Australia, along with any other members of the team leadership group or coaching staff who had prior awareness of, or involvement in, the plan to tamper with the ball.
“This can occur while Cricket Australia completes a full investigation.”
“We had a discussion during the break and I saw an opportunity to use some tape, get some granules from rough patches on the wicket to change the ball condition. It didn’t work.”
Smith acknowledged that his reputation had been compromised. “I’m not proud of what’s happened [and] it’s not within the spirit of the game. My integrity, the team’s integrity, the leadership group’s integrity has come into question and rightfully so. It’s certainly not on and it won’t happen again, I can promise you that, under my leadership.”
He initially dismissed any questions over his captaincy. “I still think I’m the right person for the job,” he said. “I take responsibility as the captain, I need to take control of the ship, but this is certainly something I’m not proud of and something that I can hopefully learn from and come back strong from. I am embarrassed to be sitting here talking about this.”
WHAT THE …….. HAVE I JUST WOKEN UP TO. Please tell me this is a bad dream.
— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) March 24, 2018
Smith rejected suggestions that the Australian team had used foul play previously to produce the prodigious reverse-swing demonstrated by the likes of Starc.
“I can promise you this is the first time it’s happened,” he said. “We saw this game as such an important game. Not that other games aren’t important as well but as an opportunity. We’ve seen the ball reversing quite a lot throughout this series and our ball just didn’t look like it was going to.”
The question as to whether Smith should be sacked has been addressed by various respected Australian commentators. But given that all the team’s other most senior players were apparently in on the plan, they are short on options for a replacement. For example, David Warner, the vice-captain, was one of the conspirators and has been embroiled in other disciplinary transgressions on this very tour.
What I find appalling in all this is the Youngster got given the Job .. Was it because someone in the team had been accused of using Hand tape for a similar affect !!!!!!! So they wanted someone else to take the mantle …. Disgraceful behaviour by senior pros … #SAvAUS
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 24, 2018
Michael Clarke, Smith’s predecessor as skipper, said: “I can’t believe they have got the young kid playing in only his eighth Test to do that,” he said. “As a leader, you can’t ask somebody to do something that you’re not willing to do yourself. You can see that Smith is shattered.”
In the shorter term it is Bancroft who will pay a price. “I was in the vicinity of the area when the leadership group were discussing it,” he said. “I’ll be honest with you, I was nervous about it because with hundreds of cameras around that’s always the risk, isn’t it? I sit before you today and I’m not proud of what’s happened.
“I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and I want to be here because I’m accountable for my actions. I’m not proud of what’s happened and I have to live with the consequences and the damage to my own reputation.”
