Steve Smith: I cried for four days after scandal

I really hope Smith has the mental strength to come back and pick up from where he left off, but I will be surprised if he does. It will be his greatest challenge, no doubt. While it is fine to compare him to previous cheats, and say everyone deserves another chance, opposition and fans could only ever sledge him for his babyface looks and awkward technique until now ......they will not be letting him forget this in a hurry..... afterall, he was our captain - and our top players are supposed to know that using sandpaper to change the ball is what cheats do - not the Australian cricket team. The whole thing just seems bizzare. As you say, there were 10 cameras watching every move. The level of stupidity required is astounding. Our captain and vice captain? Seriously? I can see Warner coming back and batting as usual. Ignorance is bliss. I never felt comfortable with this guy being VC. He quite clearly is not very bright and prone to outbursts. Australian society has a big problem with agro behaviour, and we don't need heroes like Dave Warner. I'm just very disappointed in our team I suppose. I can speak for myself as a fan - I have never had this little respect for our team and sport. Let's hope some new heroes turn up soon and rekindle my love for this sport..

Dizzy, I think you are selling both Smith and Warner short. Warner: So he came up with a stupid plan. In my angrier moments, I've been known to come up with stupider ones. He hardly held Smith and Bancroft's moms to ransom and forced them to do his bidding. At the end of the day, everybody (all 3 of them) exercised their free will while deciding to rub sandpaper on a cricket ball while playing an international Test match with 10s of cameras around. They all get to bear their share of the blame. To allocate it completely to Warner is unfair. Smith: I get that you are sympathetic to him. I am too. While he undoubtedly made a mistake, the way he has handled himself in the aftermath is commendable. I do not agree, however, that he will be diminished by this affair. From media reports of him, it seems he is somebody who has never faced serious adversity until now - cossetted childhood, professional success and public adulation were his. This was a test of his character and so far, it must be said he is doing okay. This is the player who had the grit to transform himself from a bowler to the No.1 batsman in the world - my money is on him to demonstrate the mental toughness required to come through this setback better than before. Re the fans, my sense is that a large majority of Australian fans understand that they made a mistake and are willing to forgive and forget. What they did was no worse than offences committed by several other players around the world for which the penalties were far milder (Herschelle Gibbs, Mohammad Shami come to mind) Australia has imposed unheard of penalties in order to send the message to players at all levels and to the newer generation of fans that we set higher standards for ourselves - in the longer term, that can only be good for the game in Australia, right?

DT I think you have ended up misunderstanding my comment by focussing on your criticism of Warner. The issue is that players now given the opportunity to play test cricket, would probably not have received that opportunity until later. The fact they are to play at this level now, gives them experience that they would probably not have received for a year or two. That added experience will prepare them better for when they eventually become permanent fixtures in the side and therefore benefit Australia when Smith, Warner and Bancroft return. The stigma of the 'cheating' will like most transgressions in the game, be almost forgotten within 18 months to 2 years just as we no longer take issue about the transgressions by South African, Pakistani and Indian players in the not so distant past.

"Australia will struggle in the short term, will flourish as a result in the longer term" Disagree. The Australian big names being caught for ball tampering at the top level could not have come at a worse time for Australian cricket. Fans were still coming to terms with a hot headed self centred arsehole in little Davey being vice captain. For him to drag down our biggest hero with him was devastating for many fans. Believe me, for many fans this was the last straw in having any level of respect for our team, and we have lost those fans forever. Will the new generation who help pick up the pieces have the same values as fans lost? I doubt it. I am eager to hear the nitty gritty of all this. Was Warner the instigator? I think he was. The same dickhead who was involved in an act of violence against an opposition player OFF THE FIELD and on TV for all of the youngsters around the country watching just days before. He is too arrogant and ignorant to understand the damage he has done to our beloved sport and I really don't like the guy at all. I feel Smith was very naive, stupid and gullible . Will we ever see him in top form again? That would be a big surprise as we all know how big a part the mental side of the game plays. Our biggest hero in years ..... No, this will have a negative impact on our sport for a very long time ....

Steve has been my hero ever since watching him not only play cricket but also the way he came across as a 'mate' to his team rather than the 'boss', and also how he calmly and fairly responded to at times tricky media questions well before the horrendous event a few months ago. for one so young, it is a huge achievement. He is even a bigger hero in my mind, given his decency, honesty and courage displayed and watched by all following the event in SA. Not many would be able to do this like Steve Smith did and to top it off, there was not the slightest hint of arrogance - he probably doesn't even know that word ! It was an honor to shake his hand the other day and tell him so - and so should everyone. Have a heart! Every one can make mistakes but not everyone has the guts to face the music the way Steve Smith has done. Hopefully he can feel that there are many, many Aussies who think the same. 'Hat off' also to his parents also who raised him to be such a decent young man.

Kudos to Steve for being brave enough to re-live his worst personal moments in aid of a worthwhile cause. As somebody who lost a friend to suicide in my freshman year of college, I seriously it is worth educating young people that life's highs and lows are transient and can be overcome with the right help.

Great to see these guys moving forward, both with their lives and with their cricket. I can't see there being any "awkward moments" If there are, they can only come from small minded people. These guys have made mistakes, are clearly remorseful and deserve everyone's support. Hopefully they'll play some good cricket in Canada

It was a seriously foolish act, though they weremt Robinson Crusoe in their actions...they just got caught. But it is sad to see three outstanding cricketers exiled from the game which needs such personalities. Just hope that when they return it doesnt damage their performances. Smith and Warner were the backbone of the Australian test side. Without them I fear a period of serious struggle. But then it does give a couple of new boys a chance to impress and take their game to the next level. Australia will struggle in the short term, will flourish as a result in the longer term

Good stuff, get back on the horse boys. When you come back you'll cop it from a few people, but you did the crime, you're doing the time, and then you come back. No issues here.