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Australian Players Association president Greg Dyer has warned Cricket Australia its heavy sanctions against Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft are disproportionate to the seriousness of the charges.
“Justice which is rushed can sometimes be flawed therefore the players have every right to consider their position, take appropriate advice and the necessary time in doing so,” Dyer explained.
Dyer was the Australian keeper-batsman for six Tests and 23 ODIs from 1986 to 1988, and a member of the 1987 World Cup winning side.
He was also NSW keeper-batsman from 1984 to 1988 for 95 games covering the Sheffield Shield and one-dayers, winning two Sheffield Shields. In the latter part of his career, he captained NSW as well.
Dyer could have added two other reactions to the hysterical media coverage of the Cape Town blow up.
Why have Smith, Warner and Bancroft been universally branded cheats when the previous 11 were only described as ball-tamperers?
And why have they been described as premeditating their actions, which makes them far worse than the others and therefore deserving tougher punishment?
Ace it up, every ball-tampering incident is premeditated.
There’s no way the first official ball-tamperer, John Lever in 1976, found a tube of Vaseline lying on the ground at midwicket, prompting him to say, “That’ll be a very handy way to make the shiny side even more shiny.”
Of course not, Lever had the tube in his pocket, or the Vaseline in his hair, from the shed.
Premeditated.
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There’s no way England captain Mike Atherton, in 1994, thought it would be a good idea to look around the ground to find some soil to make the rough side of the ball even roungher.
Of course not, he took the rough soil from the shed.
Premeditated.
Nor did South African captain Faf du Plessis in 2014 ask the umpires for some mints so he could rub sticky saliva onto the rough side of the ball.
Of course not, he took the mints from the shed.
Premeditation.
So all of them are premeditated cheats, or all of them simply ball-tamperers tarred with the same brush.
Prior to Smith, Warner and Bancroft, the heaviest punishments have been suspension for two ODIs, or 100 per cent of match fees, or demerit points – hardly deterrents.
I’d like Greg Dyer to join James Sutherland in an urgent meeting with the toothless ICC to settle on an automatic length of suspension that is universal.
And for Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft to cop that result, which will obviously be less than a year, or nine months.
Then let’s get on with the game that is always bigger than any side issues, or individuals.