Bollocks. This notion is fundementally flawed. What about when players throw the ball on the bounce to the keeper in order to scuff the ball? Frowned on, not entirely legal but in reality very hard to police. But most teams do this I imagine. Teams are constantly trying to alter the ball for their own benefit. Its been part of the modern game since before I was watching it, and Ive been watching a while now.
Smith has simply Smithed this up. The man competes hard, but the reality is he was never quite captaincy material. Hes always struck me a bit too much of a lad and having Warner as vice wont have helped. To be a leader is to be aloof and unlikeable. Probably not that good a gig. I did prefer Smith to Clarke. Smith would have done well as a vice captain under good and long tutelage and then been handed the reins later in his career. Warner just being a good Aussie mongrel at bat pad and let off the leash every now and again. The reality is Australian cricket very competitive, the captain and vice must have their places secured in the team, this does not always promote the best leaders. And good leadership is required to walk that fine line. Perhaps why Bailey has endured as long as he has. Even A.B had dry patches, but they kept him around.
There has been a bit of soul searching over this, people asking what do I tell my son, down to sack these guys for life. From the perspective of a kiwi I reckon if there is a problem in Aus society is a lack of moral complexity and group think. Perhaps its just the way it is though, I seen a couple of times what can happen when you loosen the lead and allow freedom of choice. Like at the staff party that one time..Debauchery. Yeah perhaps Smith just has to eat his balls on this
In reality all Smith has probably done is look at the rules, figured the risk reward (losing 5 runs -possible 1 match suspension that could possibly be overuled, match fee etc as happened with Faf,) and then acted foolishly, and yes in a petty manner and certainly bringing the game into disripute but actually quite in accordance with the competitive nature of Australian cricket.
The only difference between Faf and Smith is that Faf had a seemingly plausible narrative. i.e he just happened to be eating a mint at the time... we subsequently learnt how that technique was honed in England, and we had to listen to Hashim Amla lie through his teeth, which to me was just ridiculous. Perhaps something is not as bad because uninformed people perceive it to be so???
Yeah naaaaaah. Naaahhhhh.
We arent as bad as soccer. Where they surround the ref, jump up in his face and lambast the poor guy over some marginal decision. Get a few woman refs and release the feminists on to this pond scum. Like a dog with a bone some of these feminists
Yeah perhaps Smith just has to eat his balls on this
