‘How long has this been going on?’ Steve Smith’s career under a cloud after ball-tampering scandal
In an exclusive interview with The Independent, 2005 Ashes winner Simon Jones calls into question just how far back the Australian ball-tampering scandal goes
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Your support makes all the difference.Simon Jones fears Australia’s ball tampering goes back far longer than the current Test against South Africa.
Cameron Bancroft was caught red-headed in Cape Town, leaving his captain red-faced and facing an uncertain future after he was immediately removed from his role for the remainder of the Test.
But while Smith’s career as captain now hangs by a thread, Jones has called on the ICC to launch a thorough inquiry as to whether Australia’s mistreatment of the ball and blatant disregard for the spirit of the game goes back to the start of Smith’s time as captain.
“This wasn’t something that was cooked up overnight, was it,” says the 2005 Ashes hero. “You wonder if this was happening during the Ashes – you wonder how long this has been going on for.
“Has this been part of their routine for years? All of sudden, you look at series and games that they’ve won and you start to question everything.
“It goes against what the game is supposed to bring out of you. We’ve had match fixing, which is as bad as it gets, but ball tampering is a stain on our sport.
“What gets me is that it was pre-meditated. I don’t like that at all. They planned it and that’s not something we should be seeing in international sport.
“These lads are experienced enough, Smith has been the Aussie captain for a while now and you have to say to yourself ‘what on earth are they doing’. This isn’t under-15 cricket, this is a Test match in Cape Town.
“You’re playing in South Africa, you’re using Kookaburra balls and they’re going to reverse anyway. Those balls stay new for about 15 overs and then they naturally wear anyway. It just beggars belief what they’ve done.
“This is bringing the game massively into disrepute. It’s a disgrace and the ICC needs to take action.”
Those words have been echoed in Australia too, with the likes of Michael Clarke and Adam Gilchrist – two of the most respected names in world cricket – admitting their sadness and embarrassment over an incident that will forever stain Smith’s name.
Lionised after his Herculean efforts in the Ashes – scoring 687 runs at an average of 137 – Smith now faces the very real possibility of being permanently stripped of the captaincy.
The Australian bowlers, perhaps the most complete attack in modern Test cricket, will also face serious questions over what they knew about the tampering.
Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood can take plenty of wickets without the need to change the condition of the ball.
But now their achievements in recent months are in danger of being over-shadowed by events in Cape Town.
“If I saw a team-mate tampering with the ball I wouldn’t be happy,” says Jones, who is opening his new cricket academy in Cardiff next month.
“When you’re playing in Test matches or four-day games then the ball naturally deteriorates anyway and changing the condition of the ball – for me, that just feels like something is being taken away from you.
“We don’t know if the bowlers were involved. I’m all about integrity. When myself and Fred (Andrew Flintoff) were bowling the reverse swing in 2005 we got that ball going naturally.
“That made it feel even more special. We knew we hadn’t cheated and that we hadn’t completely disrespected the opposition. What these lads have done is disgusting.
“This will get dealt with, I think we can certainly be sure of that. I think that they need to make an example of them because this is something that has no place in the game.
“I think Smith and whoever else was involved is going to regret this for the rest of their career.”
There have been plenty of high profile examples of how ball tampering can impact the game. In 2006, Pakistan refused to continue the game at the Oval after England were awarded five penalty runs as a result of Pakistan’s alleged mistreatment of the ball.
The fallout from that match rumbled on for months.
Relations between this South African side and the Australian tourists are already at an all-time low as a result of a spat between David Warner and Quinton de Kock, as a well as a fan who verbally abused him after his dismissal in the third Test.
Building bridges is now an urgent priority for England’s Ashes conquerors. Smith may well have burnt his already.
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