An open letter to the cricketing universe regarding Steve Smith and the ball-tampering scandal

Dear cricket lovers,

A lot of people’s facetious behavior is making the entire Ball-tampering a lot more infamous than what it should be. An honest question that pops into the mind at this point in time is, is a second chance so extortionate? Yes, Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft have committed a culpable mistake and it’s hard to forgive or forget that easily. But is their mistake worth such enormous hatred which is making their family members shed tears?

A bunch of Policemen dragging Steve Smith holding both his hands tightly wrecked the hearts of so many cricket fans. Someone who was brave enough to confess his crimes to the world will not be running away from Policemen in an Airport is a fact they failed to realize.

A moronic excuse given by some Airport officials was they were guarding him against the press. Well, a new way has been discovered to “Guard” a respected sports person who had committed just one mistake. He was being trawled in an obnoxious way with no humanitarian courtesy, just the way some terrorists or hooligans get treated. Get this straight in your heads people, Smith and Warner are no criminals!

Desperation to win a game of cricket for your country can make you think a little too much, that’s exactly what happened in this case. This is completely incomparable to match-fixing or spot-fixing, where money is the only and ultimate focal point. His methodology was questionable, not his love for the game, his leadership tactics can be scrutinized, not his integrity. For the love of everything that’s good, these cricketers are no cheaters!

The acrimonious outrage which followed immediately after the cameramen spotted Bancroft with the sandpaper made this entire fiasco the appalling ball-tampering saga of all time. A lot of former cricketers (Let’s not mention their names) who themselves were a part of many scandalous, disgraceful controversies in the past were demanding a life ban on this trio, which clearly is the mother of all ironies.

On 29th March back in 2015, Steve Smith scored the winning run in the final of the ICC World Cup in front of 90,000 jubilant Australian fans at the MCG. It was one of the most memorable moments in their history and exactly on the same day after three years, the same person broke down in one of the most emotional press conferences ever, begging for forgiveness. It’s sometimes funny and sometimes heartbreaking what time can do to people.

This was a catastrophe Smith, Warner, and Bancroft brought on themselves. They dug a pit for the Proteas and eventually fell prey to it. They deserved a punishment and when compared to the penalties sanctioned for ball-tampering in the past, this is way too severe. Keeping them out of the game for 12 months (9 months for Bancroft) is a little too enormous.

A set of external factors exerted unwanted pressure on CA to slap these cricketers with such hefty bans. From the relentless barraging by the fans and media to the involvement of the top Sports Authorities and the Prime Minister of Australia, a bunch of facets made the CA intensify the degree of punishment and for what it’s worth, this was way too much brouhaha.

Nevertheless, its all in the past now and one year today, this trio will be back in action donning the yellow jersey. Only a man can admit to his sins and ask for remission. Smith, Warner, and Bancroft were man enough to condemn their thought process and took a dagger to their heart by accepting the hefty ban without questioning it.

Life is all about forgetting the bad stuff and moving on, giving ourselves and the ones around us a second chance. These three cricketers will now have enough time to contemplate and organize their thoughts before coming back into the game. Smith, Warner, and young Bancroft deserve a second chance and hopefully, we all show some respite and welcome them back gleefully next year.

Thank you

Signed: An ardent cricket fan