Darren Lehmann has announced that the Johannesburg Test will be his last as Australia coach, as the ball-tampering scandal that occurred in the Cape Town Test continues to take its toll on Australian cricket. “As many who sit in this room will know, life on the road means a lot of time away from loved ones and after speaking to my family, it is the right time to step away,”…
7:25 AM ET Liam Plunkett is coming up 33 and he has ambitions to be a cornerstone of England’s World Cup side on home soil next summer. Just the reason, one might suppose, for him to join the likes of Adil Rashid and Alex Hales in opting for a white-ball future. Not a bit of it. Plunkett insists he remains as committed as ever to playing all forms of the…
3:00 AM ET Big picture Seven years ago, Australia were bowled out for 47 in Cape Town. Oh for the days of such innocent problems. The Cape Town Test will be remembered for much darker reasons than a simple batting collapse, after Cameron Bancroft was caught sandpapering the ball in an attempt to gain reverse swing. The captain Steven Smith and vice-captain David Warner have been stripped of their leadership…
The Rough Side: A brief history of ball-tampering (2:28) A look back at the prominent ball-tampering controversies that have engulfed world cricket in the recent past (2:28) 6:04 AM ET Sidharth Monga The ICC will undertake a comprehensive review of its code of conduct following recent poor behaviour from players, which culminated in the ball-tampering scandal in the Cape Town Test between South Africa and Australia. Ball tampering, currently a…
‘I’m sorry and I’m absolutely devastated’ – Smith (1:59) The former Australia captain Steven Smith breaks down in tears as he talks to the media about his role in the ball-tampering scandal (1:59) 5:55 AM ET An utterly broken Steven Smith has taken the weight of the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal on his shoulders, admitting full responsibility as captain of the Australian team for the conspiracy to use sandpaper in…
5:48 AM ET ESPNcricinfo staff Worcestershire have signed Martin Guptill and Callum Ferguson as overseas players for the Blast T20 competition. Worcestershire, who have never reached Finals Day and finished eighth in the North Group in 2017, have already signed Australian Travis Head as their primary overseas player in the 2018 season. The addition of Guptill, who will be available to play in all formats from June 20 to July…
4:52 AM ET ESPNcricinfo staff A visibly distraught Steven Smith has apologised for the ball-tampering scandal that has rocked Australian cricket over the past week, while breaking down in tears repeatedly during his appearance in front of media soon after his return to Sydney on Thursday. “I want to make clear that as captain of the Australian cricket team I want to take full responsibility. I made an error of…
Bal: CA’s decision more a reaction to public outrage (2:54) ESPNcricinfo’s editor-in-chief also believes the IPL bans were bound to be imposed following CA’s decision on Wednesday morning (2:54) 4:44 AM ET ESPNcricinfo staff The ravaging of the public image of Australian cricket, in the wake of a ball-tampering scandal that resulted in 12-month suspensions of the team’s captain and vice-captain, was a long time coming, according to Mickey Arthur,…
‘Panicked once I was sighted on the screen’ – Bancroft (1:13) Australia batsman Cameron Bancroft has admitted to ball tampering during day three of the third Test against South Africa (1:13) 4:39 AM ET Cameron Bancroft admits he will regret his choice to tamper with the ball in Cape Town for the rest of his life, but has not yet decided whether he will contest the nine-month ban handed to…
‘I’ve just got here’ – Sussex’s Gillespie on Australia links (1:27) Sussex’s new head coach Jason Gillespie responds to questions about potential interest from elsewhere (1:27) Mar 28, 2018 Andrew Miller at Hove Jason Gillespie never thought he’d be returning to county cricket quite so soon after bringing his trophy-laden tenure at Yorkshire to an end in 2016, but he’s adamant that his new role at Sussex is a long-term…