केपटाऊन येथे पार पडलेल्या दक्षिण आफ्रिका विरुद्ध ऑस्ट्रेलिया संघातील तिसरा कसोटी सामना दक्षिण आफ्रिकेने ३२२ धावांनी जिंकला आणि ४ सामन्यांच्या कसोटी मालिकेत २-१ अशी आघाडी घेतली. मात्र या विजयापेक्षा हा कसोटी सामना ऑस्ट्रेलियन खेळाडूंनी केलेल्या चेंडू छेडछाडीच्या लाजिरवाण्या प्रकारामुळे जास्त गाजला.
या सामन्याच्या तिसऱ्या दिवशी हा सर्व प्रकार घडला. त्यानंतर दिवसाखेर ऑस्ट्रेलियाचा कर्णधार स्टीव्ह स्मिथने आणि सलामीवीर फलंदाज कॅमेरॉन बॅनक्रोफ्टने चेंडूंबरोबर छेडछाड केल्याचे मान्यही केले.
त्यामुळे या प्रकारचे पडसाद काल क्रिकेट वर्तुळात चांगलेच उमटले. तसेच स्मिथ, बॅनक्रोफ्ट आणि ऑस्ट्रेलियन संघावर सर्वच स्थरातून टीका करण्यात आली. यात सोशल मीडियावर आजी माजी क्रिकेटपटूनी आपल्या प्रतिक्रिया दिल्या. यामध्ये काहींनी ऑस्ट्रेलिया संघावर तिखट शब्दात टीका केली. तर मायकल क्लार्कने हे वाईट स्वप्नासारखे असल्याचे म्हटले आहे.
या प्रकरणामुळे स्मिथला कर्णधार पदावरून तर डेव्हिड वॉर्नरला उपकर्णधार पदावरून पायउतार व्हावे लागले. तसेच स्मिथवर आयसीसीने १००% दंडाची आणि १ सामन्याच्या बंदीची शिक्षा सुनावली. त्याचबरोबर बॅनक्रोफ्टला ७५% दंड आणि ३ डेमीरीट पॉईंट्स आयसीसीने दिले आहेत.
The more you think about what has happened in Cape Town the more I realise the Leadership needs to be replaced … Positions are untenable … & I say that with the utmost respect for most of that group … #SAvAUS
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 24, 2018
What I find appalling in all this is the Youngster got given the Job .. Was it because someone in the team had been accused of using Hand tape for a similar affect !!!!!!! So they wanted someone else to take the mantle …. Disgraceful behaviour by senior pros … #SAvAUS
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 24, 2018
https://twitter.com/KP24/status/977627621499572224
Yeah this will be talked about not just today but for long time https://t.co/Shw3WpGAwj
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) March 24, 2018
https://twitter.com/KP24/status/978175605496799232
wow @ICC wow. Great treatment nd FairPlay. No ban for Bancroft with all the evidences whereas 6 of us were banned for excessive appealing in South Africa 2001 without any evidence and Remember Sydney 2008? Not found guilty and banned for 3 matches.different people different rules
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) March 25, 2018
WHAT THE …….. HAVE I JUST WOKEN UP TO. Please tell me this is a bad dream.
— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) March 24, 2018
Very disappointed with the pictures I saw on our coverage here in Cape Town. If proven the alleged ball tampering is what we all think it is – then I hope Steve Smith (Captain) & Darren Lehmann (Coach) do the press conference to clean this mess up !
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) March 24, 2018
Very sad to know bout what has just happened in https://t.co/SDUrzFnw13 with the Aussies..Cannot believe it had come down to everything that has has been heard and seen..An absolute shocker..
Crazyyy…!!— Paras Khadka (@paras77) March 24, 2018
https://twitter.com/Aggerscricket/status/977634598292094976
https://twitter.com/AlexHartley93/status/977577459410284545
Aussies whingeing & making an official complaint about abuse from crowds?!? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 May want to look at home first!
— Matt Prior (@MattPrior13) March 24, 2018
Among other things, it was incredibly naive. Like trying to burgle a high security establishment. And they didn't need to. This is the best bowling combination going in world cricket at the moment! Should back them to do it normally.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 24, 2018
https://twitter.com/KP24/status/977544631402582017
Canary Yellow?
Or, Australian Gold?
I'm not sure of the colour of that "object"
— Iain O'Brien (@iainobrien) March 24, 2018
https://twitter.com/MitchJohnson398/status/977678922262364160
Team mate of mine, known him since he was 13. Disappointing. Out of character. Eagerly awaiting the fall out from this. #SAvsAUS https://t.co/S0NsJEvON7 https://t.co/S0NsJEvON7
— Brad Hogg (@Brad_Hogg) March 24, 2018