Moz
It's utter nonsense. Always so easy to describe how perfectly one would behave in adverse situations but the true test only happens when those situations arise and you have to act.
From start to end yesterday, this was all about half truths, scapegoating and damage limitation.
CA will have us believe that...
a) this never happened earlier in the series - Despite occurrences in previous games leading to the cameramen looking to see if they are tampering. Amazingly, the cause for the investigation was erroneous, yet yielded the expected results. How lucky huh!
b) nobody else but those three knew about it - Despite it being practically impossible for the bowlers not to notice the amount of reverse they are getting being completely abnormal AND early. Despite memebers of the English team claiming that Warner admitted to ball tampering over drinks during the Ashes.
c) That they have been transparent in their investigation in the hopes of putting this right - When it's clear that they wont even admit it's "Cheating" even after being asked three times. So what is it then if not cheating?
The fact is that they don't want to sack the coach because the WC is around the corner and they'll have to rebuild. They care more about he WC than they do about actually stopping the rot which is quite obviously overseen by Lehmann.
The way things are playing out it does appear as though CA are in part responsible for the way the Oz team have been conducting themselves of late. From the swearing at players, of which there is account on top of account from India, to England to SA - All of which according to Smith is nonsense. All being overseen and likely pushed by Lehmann.
Also notice that nothing will be said about Bancroft putting sugar in his pocket during the Ashes. It's there on video, just before he runs onto the field, being done by the same guy who was just caught ball tempering, but somehow this "investigation" leads CA to believe that this is the first time this ever happened? Funny, sugar and sticky tape would be pretty useful? We saw the sticky tape during this test and the sugar during the ashes...It takes very little assumption to arrive at an answer here. Thorough investigation my arse!
Its stinks to high heaven and if anything this should show the Oz public what kind of people are running their favorite sport.
In that type of culture, are we surprised to find that young skippers end up becoming cheats?
Just as Bancroft didn't do this out of the blue, so to i believe Steve Smith didn't just dream this up. He has been involved in a dressing room where the culture is poor, overseen and probably pushed into it by the coach, who himself answers to what appear to be a pretty arrogant CA who after all this commotion still appear adamant to lie to the public.