Smith is a cricketer, not a criminal; he broke the Laws, not the law. So now the man who has been described as the new Don Bradman is back, he should be leading the sideWhen, or perhaps if, summer returns to England, I fancy wearing one particular cap. Of deep green with a gold Southern Cross on the bill, the cap would also sport four gold letters. MSCA: Make Smith Captain Again.Bad idea, you say? No, Brexit is a bad idea. This government is a bad idea. A particularly bad idea is the Hundred, harrumph. But reinstating Steve Smith as Australia’s captain makes compelling sense. It’s about time cricket grew up. Related: Aaron Finch and Mitchell Starc power Australia to...
Sport often welcomes back a bad boy turned good but some offences lie so far beyond the pale a return is almost impossible despite protestationsSteve Smith and David Warner were booed during Australia’s warm-up fixtures against West Indies and England in Southampton. The Aussies won both matches, and Smith got runs in both, so perhaps they won’t care about a phenomenon that seems likely to continue throughout the World Cup, even if they get to the final on 14 July.According to Smith, who spoke after taking a ton off England’s bowlers at the Hampshire Bowl on Saturday, the chants of “Cheat! Cheat! Cheat!” are like “water off a duck’s back – it doesn’t bother me”. But it should, because it...
How what seemed a routine case of ball tampering quickly escalated into a national scandal that swept away Steve Smith, David Warner and Darren LehmannIt all ended in tears. Quite often it does in cricket. If nothing else, this week has been a reminder of the unique hold the game has on its players and, in the case of Australia, an entire nation. Add Steve Smith, David Warner and Darren Lehmann to a list of cricketers making tearful departures that includes Michael Vaughan, Kim Hughes, Hansie Cronje and more surprisingly – and privately – Brian Close when he was sensationally sacked by Yorkshire in 1970. Related: Australia's ball-tampering scandal delivers bout of soul-searching Related: Why did Smith and Bancroft have...
It is not clear who benefited from all the weeping in the fall-out of the Australia ball-tampering scandal but not the playersFive days deep into the scandal the Australia team finally hit bottom. Their coach has quit, their two openers are banned and their captain and best batsman since Don Bradman is a broken man.Thursday was a wretched day. It began with Cameron Bancroft’s press conference in Perth, his words catching in his throat as he spoke, continued with Steve Smith’s in Sydney, when he seemed almost overcome with suffering, and finished with Darren Lehmann’s sudden announcement that, despite everything he had said, he was going to resign after all. Lehmann said he changed his mind when he saw Smith...
Only weeks after saying in an interview how he was maturing as a leader and person, Australia’s former vice-captain descended into new darknessA few weeks ago this paper ran an interview with David Warner. I wrote it. He agreed to it cheerfully despite having just arrived in South Africa from New Zealand via a brain-bending series of flights. He was keen and spoke in extended and considered fashion: about family, playing a character villain, the realities of an underprivileged upbringing and his desire to help people from similar backgrounds. He spoke about change and maturing as a person. He was impressive. Related: David Warner says punching Joe Root was turning point off and on pitch Related: David Warner steps down from...