Australian Tour of South Africa

[MW]

We haven’t heard even close to the full story here yet.
There’s got to be more to this and more people involved.

I think the contrary
Everyone is potting Boof but early investigations by the integrity unit showed he was not involved
Warner shown to be the culprit. Smith complicit which makes him just as bad. Bancroft naïve and stupid which is no excuse.

[Lightning McQueen]

We haven’t heard even close to the full story here yet.
There’s got to be more to this and more people involved.

I think the contrary
Everyone is potting Boof but early investigations by the integrity unit showed he was not involved
Warner shown to be the culprit. Smith complicit which makes him just as bad. Bancroft naïve and stupid which is no excuse.

Nyuk nyuk nyuk.

[The Bedge]

On the upside, at least we may get to see Sayers debut!!

Umm, Sayers doesn't bat in the top four, he aint playing

Yeah at the time I was basing off that the whole leadership group and bowling group were in on it

[whufc]

Surely the buck has to fall at boof for continue failure of our players to meet standards.

A cricket coach doesn't have a whole lot to do so surely player behaviour is ultimately their responsibility

[amber_fluid]

Surely the buck has to fall at boof for continue failure of our players to meet standards.

A cricket coach doesn't have a whole lot to do so surely player behaviour is ultimately their responsibility

Yeah whether he knew about it or not it’s time for Boof to go.
New coach, new start, new disciplines.

[The Bedge]

New coach, new start, new disciplines.

Let's just wait to see what Justin Langer's views on this matter are first

[Dutchy]

You wonder if the Boof situation is being managed more carefully and once they returned to Oz he may step aside quietly.

Lots of talk of only a 6 month ban, surely they all need to miss the Australian summer at a minimum, if they just miss our winter it will be almost like nothing happened come November this year.

[Corona Man]

FWIW - Smith, Warner & Bancroft all get 12 months. 6 months is pointless means they miss 2 tests against Bangers - waste of time.

[tigerpie]

Darren Lehman is old school and even though he comes across as pretty casual
he is well aware of how lucky he is to be the national coach.
Could get a test or one day gig for bloody ages so he did it the hard way.
The 3 concerned would've known not to tell him because he would freak!

And for you potters who may not be aware, the coach isn't privvy to all conversations between players
especially career ending ones.

[Booney]

Crikey, the wheels have well and truly fallen off :

AUSTRALIA’S cricket stars are on the brink of “breaking apart” and want the Fourth Test against South Africa to be abandoned, according to reports and a former Test player.

The Aussie dressing room has been ripped apart by the ugly fallout to the ball-tampering scandal which has reportedly led to David Warner being banished from the team.

Warner, dumped captain Steve Smith and busted ball-tamperer Cameron Bancroft will on Wednesday night (AEDT) return to Australia after being officially charged by Cricket Australia for bringing the game into disrepute.

However, the damage is already more severe than that.

According to reports, the bad blood between Warner and his teammates may be impossible for the Aussie cricket team to overcome.

According to The Courier-Mail’s Robert Craddock, the anger from Aussie cricketers towards Warner is a response to testimony the star opener reportedly gave Cricket Australia’s integrity unit investigators which claimed the bowling unit of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon were aware of the ball tampering plot.

Craddock told Fox Sports’ The Back Page on Tuesday night members in the Aussie dressing room also suspect Warner was behind a Channel 9 story which claimed the Aussie bowlers were in on the plan for Bancroft to rough up the ball using tape and sand hidden in his pockets.

Warner also left the Australian cricket team’s WhatsApp group message thread on Tuesday.


Craddock named Starc as one of the players that is privately fuming at Warner’s behaviour since Bancroft was busted by South African television footage trying to hide yellow tape down his pants.

“They are blistering to the point where I understand that one of the bowlers was thinking of approaching team management and saying, ‘get him off the tour’,” Craddock told Fox Sports.

“It’s a major blow-up. They aren’t on talking terms.”

Warner was also spotted sitting distanced from his Aussie teammates on the flight to Johannesburg on Wednesday morning.

Aussie cricket commentator Jim Maxwell said Warner’s standing with the team is so poor that he may never be selected to play another Test for Australia.

The upheaval of the civil war within the Aussie dressing room and Cricket Australia’s decision to send Warner, Smith and Bancroft back to Australia has devastated the Aussie team.

Aussie Test great Gavin Robertson told Fox Sports News on Tuesday night the morale within the dressing room is so bad that players want to leave the tour and abandon the Fourth Test, beginning Friday.

“They are going to break apart in the next couple days,” he told Fox Sports’ Bill and Boz.

“I spoke to people this morning, the players don’t want to play the Test. Generally, they don’t feel like playing because they are absolutely gutted.”

The team has also cancelled Wednesday night’s training session with players and officials still reeling.

The Aussies will also have to deal with a new-look squad for the final test against the Proteas with Warner, Smith and Bancroft sent home.

CA’s board has appointed Tim Paine the nation’s 46th Test captain, with the Tasmanian keeper to lead a new-look XI in the Fourth Test

Current squad member Peter Handscomb is set to be recalled, while Matthew Renshaw, Joe Burns and Glenn Maxwell are en route to South Africa as reinforcements.

Coach Darren Lehmann will remain in charge for the Fourth Test with Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland declaring on Wednesday morning that the integrity unit has found no evidence that the head coach was involved in the ball-tampering plot.

[Booney]

Money for jam lads :

South Africa $1.45
Draw $5.45
Australia $5.05

45% interest in the next 4 days.

[JK]

Sutherland and CA have handled this situation extremely well and professionally so far.

Having being in SAF for 24 hours they were never going to be investigate and hand down the full punishment at that point.

They have jumped in and cleared up that the 3 will miss the next test as investigations etc continue, which will ease the situation slightly and allow the team to start focusing on the next test

Think the signs are the punishment to the 3 involved will be reasonable stern

On SEN this morning Sutherland copped a pasting from one media identity, for not doing enough in regard to providing facts, details and punishment, but Im not sure how he possibly could at this stage.

All the people calling for Boof's head need to cool their jets and use their noggin not their heart. If there's no evidence to support a theory he was involved, and he's cut from his contract, that's going to cost CA plenty. If evidence does surface, then that's the time action would be taken.

[Jim05]

Sutherland and CA have handled this situation extremely well and professionally so far.

Having being in SAF for 24 hours they were never going to be investigate and hand down the full punishment at that point.

They have jumped in and cleared up that the 3 will miss the next test as investigations etc continue, which will ease the situation slightly and allow the team to start focusing on the next test

Think the signs are the punishment to the 3 involved will be reasonable stern

On SEN this morning Sutherland copped a pasting from one media identity, for not doing enough in regard to providing facts, details and punishment, but Im not sure how he possibly could at this stage.

All the people calling for Boof's head need to cool their jets and use their noggin not their heart. If there's no evidence to support a theory he was involved, and he's cut from his contract, that's going to cost CA plenty. If evidence does surface, then that's the time action would be taken.

Just can’t see how Boof stays on.

[JK]

Sutherland and CA have handled this situation extremely well and professionally so far.

Having being in SAF for 24 hours they were never going to be investigate and hand down the full punishment at that point.

They have jumped in and cleared up that the 3 will miss the next test as investigations etc continue, which will ease the situation slightly and allow the team to start focusing on the next test

Think the signs are the punishment to the 3 involved will be reasonable stern

On SEN this morning Sutherland copped a pasting from one media identity, for not doing enough in regard to providing facts, details and punishment, but Im not sure how he possibly could at this stage.

All the people calling for Boof's head need to cool their jets and use their noggin not their heart. If there's no evidence to support a theory he was involved, and he's cut from his contract, that's going to cost CA plenty. If evidence does surface, then that's the time action would be taken.

Just can’t see how Boof stays on.

They would need a legally suitable reason to snip him I'd think

[Jim05]

Sutherland and CA have handled this situation extremely well and professionally so far.

Having being in SAF for 24 hours they were never going to be investigate and hand down the full punishment at that point.

They have jumped in and cleared up that the 3 will miss the next test as investigations etc continue, which will ease the situation slightly and allow the team to start focusing on the next test

Think the signs are the punishment to the 3 involved will be reasonable stern

On SEN this morning Sutherland copped a pasting from one media identity, for not doing enough in regard to providing facts, details and punishment, but Im not sure how he possibly could at this stage.

All the people calling for Boof's head need to cool their jets and use their noggin not their heart. If there's no evidence to support a theory he was involved, and he's cut from his contract, that's going to cost CA plenty. If evidence does surface, then that's the time action would be taken.

Just can’t see how Boof stays on.

They would need a legally suitable reason to snip him I'd think

If he knew about it he is stuffed and if the team is doing stuff behind his back then he also failed his duties

[stan]

Wheels are off alright.

4th test still needs to go ahead. We must see out the series. Regardless the test will be lucky to go 3 days.

That been said guys like Renshaw and Burns would be chomping at the bit to play.

Also if Starc doesnt want to play then give Sayers or Richardson a run.

Warner is clearly done with test cricket.

[stampy]

surely lehmanns position is untenable regardless ?

[Bombers4EVA]

LEAVE BOOF ALONE.

[The Dark Knight]

Wheels are off alright.

4th test still needs to go ahead. We must see out the series. Regardless the test will be lucky to go 3 days.

That been said guys like Renshaw and Burns would be chomping at the bit to play.

Also if Starc doesnt want to play then give Sayers or Richardson a run.

Warner is clearly done with test cricket.

Despite this drama and the matter in way they have been slected the selectors have at least picked the right replacements. Burns and Renshaw straight into open is a positive move fwiw. Warner was horribly out of form anyway. You can obviously see Handscomb in for Smith, who I reckon slots in five and Marsh moves up to four. Maxwell was the next in line middle order batsman and his selection, while in bizarre circumstances is now quite funny and ironic given they really didn't want to pick him at the start of the Ashes.

[am Bays]

surely lehmanns position is untenable regardless ?

Yep, as leader/manager of the teams performance, allowing their behaviours and overt combative style of play to manifest and deteriorate to what we saw on Saturday, whilst he arguably had no say in the decision made at Lunch on Day 3, he is at worst, negligent if he knew about it but didn't stop it, at best, he has overall responsibility for what happens on the field (not with standing a view in Australian cricket about the role of the captain v coach (hi Chappelli and Warney)).

Whilst different scenarios, it is the same principles applied to Hird and why he was culpable with the Essendon scandal as head Coach you are responsible and when the team breaches the code of conduct as coach you have to take responsibility. That is the way of modern sport.

I think it'll be as Dutch says below, they'll negotiate an early termination so it looks good for all parties and gives the new coach (Langer) the mandate to set the new playing agenda and style.

You wonder if the Boof situation is being managed more carefully and once they returned to Oz he may step aside quietly.

Lots of talk of only a 6 month ban, surely they all need to miss the Australian summer at a minimum, if they just miss our winter it will be almost like nothing happened come November this year.

I'm tipping Warner 12 months - instigator
Smith and Bancroft 6-12 months

They'll be pragamatic with Smith due to his reported contrition and they know he's the best bat so they'll want him for the test series here against India. Bancroft may get a reduction because of his relative inexperience.

Warner, well he'll have a number of chickens come home to roost.

All IMO of course.