John Buchanan on Australia ball tampering: Cricket faces painful reality
THE Aussie cricket public has been let down and only a complete review of every aspect of the elite game can restore faith, writes former Australian cricket coach John Buchanan.
Opinion
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NOTHING brings Australians together more than national disasters, tragedies and sport. Nothing tears them apart more than people being dishonest, cheating or letting their mates down.
Add to those emotions that in Australian sport, cricket is held to be at the pinnacle of how Australian play their sport — tough, hard, aggressive, skilfully, pushing the boundaries and the spirit of the contest, but always fairly and within the rules.
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So it is no wonder the depth of emotion that is being expressed around the country at the moment is so much about being let down by their heroes, or at least a bunch of guys who we expect constantly uphold all that is good about Australia and its sportsmen and women.
The obvious question on everyone’s lips is how could this have happened?
How could Australia’s premier elite sporting team stoop to cheating to gain some advantage which might translate to helping win a game of cricket?
Put in context, and by no means as a defence argument about the ball tampering decision, sport is simply about winning and losing. The higher the level of sport the higher the stakes. Coaches, players and support staff all seek to find those one percenters that will give them a competitive edge over opponents, the small things that give the team or individual the best chance of winning.
Back to the current situation — Australia was behind in the Third Test against South Africa in Cape Town. Their bowlers were simply not making the breakthroughs required to ensure that the total they would chase for victory would not be out of reach. Apparently they had tried every tactic they could prior to the lunch break.
From what is reported, the “leadership group” hatched a plan to change the condition of the ball by using yellow sticky tape, impregnated with dirt granules — a deliberate and obvious contravention of the rules of the game. Cameron Bancroft, it seems, was the player who was identified as being in the best position to enact this decision.
Having been inside a cricket dressing room when the game is not going your way, it is not a nice place to be. The mood is sombre and quiet. Individuals tend to keep to themselves or in small groups.
The Cape Town visitors dressing room is one where there are some nooks and crannies, but most of those outside the dressing room proper are either visible to public or opposition, or are thoroughfares. By Bancroft’s admission he was nearby where the decision was being made and so he was “conscripted” to the plan.
As time draws closer to getting back on to the field, it is generally the coach and captain who then speak to the group about the tactics you want employed once back in action.
It is at that point, or a little before, that we as a supporting and viewing public have some serious questions for the team.
Why was it decided to break the rules and cheat, beyond the obvious answer which is about trying gain some advantage?
Who made the decision about team tactics before re-entering the field of play?
Was this conveyed to the whole team?
What was said before returning to the arena and by whom?
Did anyone raise objections to the plan?
It is those questions and a number of others Cricket Australia — and the Australian cricketing public — will want answered over the next 48 hours so that Cricket Australia can take some decisive action and become clear on the direction they wish to take.
And that direction is not just for the remaining Test match but also, and more importantly, so it can determine what needs to be done about not just the team and its leadership, but all staff associated with the team and the Cricket Australia staff that support the team from home.
It is important Cricket Australia keep this process as transparent as possible — because the public, who are understandably outraged and feel totally let down by the team, must know what steps will be taken for the short term and the long term.
Due to the enormity of the issue and despite this being one of the first errors Steve Smith has made in his role as captain, if the reports are proven he must resign as captain, or if he won’t resign, he must be removed.
Once the facts are known through the investigation by Ian Roy (Cricket Australia integrity commissioner) and Pat Howard (high performance general manager), disciplinary measures on those found to be complicit must be immediate.
But it can’t end there. There must be a complete “cultural” review of the team, selection processes, high performance support and staffing.
The Australian cricket team and Cricket Australia need to restore the public faith that has been given to them as custodians of the game.
In doing so, the Australian sporting public will be reassured that its sporting elite are still, with the occasional exception, people to be admired for their sporting prowess and community leadership.
John Buchanan is a former cricket coach of Australia and founder of Buchanan Success Coaching
Originally published as John Buchanan on Australia ball tampering: Cricket faces painful reality