Page 50 - English Tehelka Issue 7 - April 15, 2018

he game of cricket and the stood by, denying the tampering of the questions than it will answer. Smith had
image of a great cricketing ball. But when more images appeared said in his presser that the plan for tam-
nation, Australia, have been on the TV, someone from the dug-out pering the ball was prepared by a group
severely dented by the acts apparently sent a message to the play- of “senior team leaders.” Who are these
T of the Aussie players dur- ers to hide the offending yellow strip. team leaders? Did Smith mean only
ing the on-going Test series against That “someone” is believed to be the Warner and himself as “leaders”? What
South Africa. And that image-dent is head coach, Darrel Lehmann. about the coach? Even if we believe
unlikely to be repaired soon following The cricketing storm has already Sutherland that the coach Lehmann did
what seemed at first like a questionable soiled the image of the entire Austral- not know about the ball tampering plan
quantum of punishment announced ian nation, forcing their Prime Minister and got a wind of it only when things
by the Cricket Australia’s (CA) chief ex- Malcolm Turnbull to make a forceful began to unfold in front of the cameras
ecutive, James Sutherland against three official and political intervention. The on the field, did he at any stage call the
players involved in the ball tampering Prime Minister’s words were seeped players in for an explanation? Did he at
scandal in South Africa-Skipper Steven in emotion and his tone had profound any stage inform CA of what had actu-
Smith, Vice Captain David Warner and diplomatic wisdom. This fully reflected ally transpired? If yes, what did he tell
rookie opener Bancroft who have been the mood of the nation: “This has been Cricket Australia about the incident? bowlers would actually have used it Announcing • Ball talks David Warner has apologised for
served a 12 month ban . a shocking affront to Australia,” he Was he supposed to just look the other merely by looking at the ball, even then his role in ball-tampering scandal
What seemed even more shocking said,adding, “How many of us as fathers way even after the scandal came to his does it convince anyone that the sol- the quantum
than the leniency shown to the players and mothers have had children who notice? diers for whom the cannon was being be good to remember that none of us is
is the certificate of moral courage is- have looked up to the Australian team, Finally — and most importantly — readied were kept in the dark about the of punishment, a saint and all of us have at one time or
kind and quality of the cannon? Sutherland said, the other been guilty of conduct which
More likely, Cricket Australia tried “There was courage cannot be called honest — conduct far
Smith, Warner, Bancroft Smithgate: large and they are tampering with in- in (Steve Smith’s) found guilty of. We may not have been
worse than these players have been
a “reverse swing” on the public at
caught cheating but that doesn’t make
formation even more brazenly than
admitting the guilt.”
He who hasn’t sinned….. the players tampered with the ball. What courage is us saints. And we have never done what
Sutherland’s clean chit to the head
these players are doing — offering apol-
ogies for our conduct.
coach Darrel Lehmann apart, his obser-
vation that this was the only instance
Having stripped Smith of the Aus-
of the Aussies indulging in this kind Sutherland talking tralian Captaincy, openly dubbing him
about?
The recent ball-tampering episode involving Smith, Warner and Bancroft must of cheating beggars serious questions. guilty of cheating, Cricket Australia’s
best course now would be to look be-
What about Steve Smith’s “brain fade”
be dealt with strictly to set the right precedent and maintain the glory of the game while seeking help from the pavilion yond the moment and to keep the
of cricket, harcharan bains writes for a DRS request? And why is every- While deciding the final quantum doors open for all the players to be al-
one, from Kevin Pieterson to Stuart of punishment that Smith and co must lowed to make amends for their guilt.
Broad, pointing out that the Aussies be handed down by the Cricket World As Kevin Peiterson has said, “All of them
routinely reverse the ball “in a way that and more importantly, by us, the peo- deserve a second chance. They are god
sued by Sutherland to Steve Smith. An- who have looked up to their role mod- how much can Cricket Australia be is not ordinary? ple, we must keep in mind the tremen- guys caught in a bad place.” The holier-
nouncing the quantum of punishment, els, their idols.” trusted? Is their conduct any different On an earlier occasion in which dous services this iconic cricketer has than-thou self-righteousness is all very
Sutherland said, “There was courage in Turnbull said that cricketers as role from the conduct of the players them- Smith had been found guilty of an ob- rendered to Australia and to the game. well but at stake is not just the career of
(Steve Smith’s) admitting the guilt.” Sad- models enjoy respect and love far high- selves? The players tampered with the scenity rant against the New Zeland And we must also remember that all three great players but also of our own
ly, the players never admitted their guilt er than political leaders in the country. ball but the CA it seems is tampering cricketers and the umpires, he had three players have offered emotional ability to forgive and move on. We are
on their own and in fact kept denying it Seldom , if ever, has the Prime Min- with truth. it wants us to believe that “I’ll cop that on the chin and I need to public apologies and have been seen people with families and many of us of
when questioned by the umpires. It was ister or the President of a major nation only three players were involved in the be better as a leader. For me it’s about to be going through a period of acute have children who can commit sins far
only when the television footage began felt so compelled to speak with such cheating and tampering with the ball trying to learn from my mistakes and trauma. Smith has cried his heart out worse than Smith and his team mates
to be played and replayed and replayed passion on something concerning only to help the Aussie bowlers to “reverse” improve.” Smith obviously forgot the at the press conference and has offered have committed. It is best to allow these
again on the large screen on the ground sports. The Aussie Prime Minister has it. Now, are we to believe that bowlers lessons he had learnt there. no excuses. All he has sought is an apol- players to serve out the sentence of one
itself that the Aussie captain and play- clearly realized that at stake is not just for whom the ball was being readied for But to be fair to Smith and his play- ogy. Similarly, Warner and Bancroft year during which they and their fami-
ers were forced to confess. When the the question of playing cricket accord- ‘reverse swing’ were not even aware ers, they have made a clean breast of have tendered the sincerest apologies lies would be going through the worst
umpires saw the footage on the screen ing to the rules of the game. It is an issue of what was being done for them and the sin they committed in a moment and coach Darrel Lehmann had owned kind of mental agony. “Let him who has
and asked Bancroft what was going on, involving public morality and national in their name? How could they be ex- governed by insane destiny. It must be moral responsibility for the culture of never sinned cast the first stone.”
the Aussie opener produced a black character. pected to make the best use of the tam- remembered that these are not the only the team and has decided to step down
strip of cloth, kept as a standby on pur- In the background of Turnbull’s pered ball if they were not even aware players to have indulged in this sort of voluntarily, despite being cleared by (The writer is a former cricket
pose, and showing it to the umpires, strong statement, the one-year ban that it had been tampered and which unfair tactics. Others have been found Cricket Australia. commentator)
claiming that this was all he had. Vice announced by CA, and that too against side of the ball had been tampered and guilty and many more may have just And now it is up to us — you and me-
captain Warner and skipper Smith only three players is likely to raise more how much? Even the answer is that the gotten away with it. to forgive these players forever. It will letters@tehelka.com

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