A “destroyed” Steve Smith moves through Johannesburg airport, donned not in his Australian team uniform, but in a plain white t-shirt.
Angry onlookers spit out “cheat!” as the 28-year-old ducks his head, making his way home to a country brimming with disappointment.
A week ago he was a star. Today we’re told he’s a liar. A national disgrace. A fallen, once-upon-a-time hero who betrayed us all.
Sport has an uncanny knack for making us emotional; the theatrics of the Australian cricket team‘s ball-tampering scandal were so perfect, the optics so pristine, it has quickly become the biggest sporting scandal since the AFL’s Essendon Bombers were found guilty of being drug cheats in 2012.
Because bowler Cameron Bancroft’s mistake unfolded in real time, caught by eagle-eyed cameramen and broadcast to the world, it’s considered more offensive and outrageous than the many Australian athletes who have become embroiled in drug scandals and sexual or physical assault cases.
If it’s off the field, we don’t seem to care. But on the field? That’s enough to spark a frenzy.
The Mamamia Out Loud team discuss what the Cricket Australia scandal means for us as a nation. Post continues.
And so Smith, Bancroft, and Dave Warner roughing up a ball deserves unrelenting fury and condemnation, apparently.
Don’t get me wrong – I am not condoning cheating. Not at all. Integrity is important, and what those men did was completely unethical.
Top Comments
The difference is that the other penalties were handed down by the ICB. Had the governing cricket authorities of the nations of the other individuals wanted to impose their own sanctions on top of those of the ICB then they could have, but chose not to. You can't compare, as it is CA in this case vs ICB in all other cases you mention.
Or perhaps it is evidence of the higher standards we expect from our National players rather than say "but but but, they did it first" - surely that is a good thing?