Former Australian captain Steve Smith reveals origin of Australia’s ‘win-at-all-costs’ mentality

Disgraced former captain Steve Smith has pointed the finger at two of Australian cricket’s most senior figures for being the key to the desperate approach which culminated in the ball-tampering affair.

Steve Smith has revealed the moment which sparked Australia’s win at all costs mentality. Picture: Getty

• Bancroft’s disturbing new insight into corrupt culture
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Steve Smith has made the explosive claim that a dressing room shellacking from cricket bosses sparked the win-at-all-costs culture that led to the ball-tampering affair.

The deposed Australian captain told Fox Cricket in an exclusive interview that former chief executive James Sutherland and ex-high performance boss Pat Howard marched into the dressing rooms in Hobart after a historic loss to South Africa two summers ago and let rip.

“We don’t pay you to play, we pay you to win,” said Smith of the message from the CA suits back in the summer of 2016-17.

James Sutherland and Pat Howard have come under fire. Picture: AAP

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And in more startling revelations, Smith told Channel Nine on Thursday morning that he spent ‘the first four or five days after returning from South Africa curled up in a ball and in tears.’

“I still have difficult days where I struggle with things, but I guess the people around me that have helped me get through those tough times and I have been able to have those conversations and people just let me know that it is going to be OK.”

Quizzed about a possible return to the Test captaincy, Smith played a straight bat.

“It is too early to say, really. I think at the moment I just want to get back in the team and hopefully be a part of the World Cup and Ashes next year and then from there we will see how we go. I just want to get back playing, really.”

Meanwhile, former Test captain Ian Chappell weighed into the Sutherland,-Howard saga, describing the alleged approach from the duo as “a disgrace” on Macquarie Radio and applauded Smith for lifting the lid on the interference by administrators.

Steve Smith has returned to the public eye this week. Picture: AAP

Cameron Bancroft also cast a damning light on the state of Australian team culture when he told Fox in a separate interview that he would have felt just as bad had he said no to taking sandpaper out to the middle, such was the environment in the dressing rooms at the time.

Cricket Australia’s independent cultural review found that head office must accept responsibility for the atmosphere and attitudes which led to the cheating scandal.

Smith articulated an exact moment where he felt the downhill spiral began.

“I think back to Hobart when we lost there against South Africa and it was our fifth straight loss in Test cricket after three losses in Sri Lanka,” Smith told Fox.

“I remember James Sutherland and Pat Howard coming into the rooms there and actually saying, ‘we don’t pay you to play, we pay you to win.

“For me that was a little bit disappointing to say.

“We don’t go out there to try and lose games of cricket we go out there to try and win and play the best way we can.”

Cameron Bancroft felt he was in a compromised position. Picture: Getty

Bancroft said his self-reflections on Sandpapergate told him he would have felt as guilty had he refused to cheat as he did when his career was blown up on the big screen as he attempted to stuff sandpaper down his jocks.

Test greats expressed distress at what this concession said about team culture at the time.

“If I’d said no, if I’d said no, what would that have meant?” said Bancroft on Fox.

“The problem is I would have gone to bed and felt like I’d let everybody down. Like I’d let the team down. I felt like I would have hurt our chances to win the game of cricket.”

Then Australian coach Darren Lehmann said on Macquarie Radio on Wednesday that Bancroft should have raised his concerns with he and captain Steve Smith.

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