Steve Smith must be sacked as Australia captain for role in ball tampering against South Africa

THE moment Steve Smith agreed to a plan to cheat by tampering with the ball during the third Test against South Africa he signed off as a real captain and he must be sacked, Russell Gould writes.

Steve Smith had admitted to a plan to tamper with the ball. Picture: Getty

• SHOCK ADMISSION: Smith admits to cheating

• COMMENT: ‘Grubby win-at-all-costs culture’ exposed

• NUTS AND BOLTS: How Aussies hatched a plan to cheat

• EXPERTS REACT: Tell me this is a bad dream

• CRICKET AUSTRALIA: We must follow process first

• READERS VERDICT: Public call for Smith’s head

STEVE Smith should be sacked as Australian captain.

When your first option, if things aren’t going your way, is to cheat, then you don’t have the right stuff to lead a team.

The actions of Cameron Bancroft to tamper with the ball were deplorable for a team which purports to uphold the spirit of cricket.

But the decisions which led to Bancroft wearing tape on to the field in Cape Town, to pick up debris, to scuff up the ball, those decisions are the most damning for Smith.

It’s unclear who came up with the idea in the changerooms at the lunch break, but as soon as it was first mentioned to Smith he should have shut it down. He didn’t.

Steve Smith had admitted to a plan to tamper with the ball. Picture: Getty

Five minutes later, when he had considered it a little more, thought of the possible consequences, and reminded himself that his team was going to cheat, Smith should have shut the idea down. He didn’t.

Just before the Aussie team took to the field, after Bancroft had armed himself with the tape, having been told he was going to be the man to do it, Smith had yet another chance to shut it down. He didn’t.

As soon as he saw the ball go to Bancroft in the field, with the plan in play, Smith could have signalled to his player not to do it. He didn’t.

From the very moment it was first raised in the rooms, Smith condoned cheating, and that, beyond the action, is the most damning thing.

Ball tampering is not new, other teams have done it, other captains have done it.

South African Faf du Plessis was fined for doing it in Australia. There’s an argument to suggest him holding on to his position was wrong.

Broadcast footage captured Cameron Bancroft attempting to hide the sticking plaster he is alleged to have used to tamper with the ball.

But in this instance, it was a deliberate plan, hatched by the captain, with his consent in the changerooms, not on the spur of the moment, which required Bancroft to get tape, pick up debris, and scuff up the ball.

That Smith threw Bancroft under the bus by asking a new player to do it in the first place is another big black mark against the captain.

With suggestions emerging that coach Darren Lehmann was also in on the action, despite Smith’s denials, the picture for the current Australian leadership team becomes even uglier.

Smith may continue as a batsman, no player should have his career ended for a bad decision.

Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft face the media and admit to their plan to tamper with the ball. Picture: Getty

But that he made that decision as captain, a position he was put in because he should know better, a position he was put in because he was better than that, makes it impossible for him to continue as a leader.

Forget that the whole leadership group was in on it. The buck stops with the captain, what he says goes.

The minute he said “go” for cheating, was the minute he signed off as a real captain.

Originally published as Steve Smith must be sacked as Australia captain for role in ball tampering against South Africa