So the biggest factor for comparison has now been removed from the equation.
Starc picked up a stress fracture apparently. Despite showing no signs of it during the previous test and obviously having only very little/limited practice since the third test ended.
Now we'll never be able to compare his reverse swing from the first three games to this final test.
Yet another co-incidentally unfortunate barrier to a through investigation.
Well done CA. You've just lost all respectability.
Plum
I also thought this might be a contrived injury to stop him from playing -but it is apparently real. It is also reported that Starc is out of the IPL - he would have played for Kalkutta Knight Riders this year - but he is out of that one too.
There are now three IPL teams who have lost highly-paid Aussie players, namely -
* Sunrisers Hyderabad (Warner);
* Rajasthan Royals (Smith) and
* KKR (Starc)
The franchises are allowed to replace those three players and although the first two clubs as a rule do not contract SA players I think that Markram has a good chance to be contracted by them. However, I think I saw elsewhere that he was contracted by an English club which will prevent him earning real big money. Morkel played for KKR before and they might call I'm up to replace Starc.
It's not real Mike. Being out of the IPL is just to make it believable.
This is one big concoction by CA.
It's obvious it happened all series. It's more obvious that Srarc knew about it. All the bowlers did.
It's not a coincidence that everything has been neatly shut down.
From Lehmann and his supposed reasons for resigning to the admission of sandpaper and how it serves to distance cheating in this series from cheating in the Ashes.
All to neatly rounded off for me.
Somebody needs to offer Warner a big amount of money to spill the beans. I think he'll do it hahaha!
plum
This may be a cover-up - but how are they going to get Starc to agree to that since he will lose circa $1,6 million in the process?
Warner is low life - he is unlikely to play international cricket again and may just sell the story to the media in future.
Mike I think CA told him that he'd get the same ban as everyone else anyway. But that this way it would at least round off the matter and fall in line with the idea that nobody else knew.
If he suddenly managed to get only normal reverse in this game it would raise massive questions.
Watched Michael Clarke yesterday saying that he finds it incredible that tue bowler wouldn't know. I agree.
Here Mike...War ner's interview.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=X-j-vLU8XtU
At 05:30 he is asked if anyone else knew. He refuses to answer because he knows if he lies again he won't be forgiven.
It's pretty blatant.
plum
It may be a cover-up as you suggested. However, if Starc indeed undergoes an operation for the stress factor as indicated then we may be wrong in this case.
There is no indication that the swing bowling in the Ashes was abnormal - if the players tried to cheat through ball tampering in that series it was not really successful. However, it was obvious there was ball tampering in the first two tests in SA and they were indeed lucky not to be caught out earlier.
I'm not sure how CA can lose all "respectability" when they've handed out the severest penalty in the history of ball tampering.
Sober up guys, ball tampering is nothing new and is not an exclusive cheating practice by any one player or cricketing team.....Hansie rolling his spiked boots over a cricket ball is still fresh in my memory. Faf unzipping his pocket with a cricket ball is another.
Personally I believe the penalties handed out were harsh and over the top but that said I like most abide by the umpires decision. Smith is a decent bloke but made a dreadful error of judgement....the over zealous Warner is a prick and motivated the whole thing, clearly Lehmann is innocent of knowing what was going down but is guilty of not reigning in a bad situation prior to the ball tampering incident.
No-one is guilty of murder or sexual assault.
Ozzie cricket will survive, it won't happen overnite but they have a strong cricket culture and given time they'll be back.......poor old South Africa will long after still be handicapped with Transformation. I know my preferred situation.
Denny
Ball tampering is nothing new - but using sandpaper and organizing it by senior players is.
Fanny believe tat CA ha to act severely - but the question remains was if Starc and Hazelwood wer not involved as well.