Post-Ashes cricket thread 🦗

So obviously I am supplementing that by posting on the internet about it too

Totally with you there - the amount of discussion at all levels has been crazy

This was apt -

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CA have banned Smith and Warner for 12 months, and Bancroft for 9 months. If Warner is as far out on a limb is he seems, that’s probably it for him, but leaves the door open for Smith and to a lesser extent Bancroft to come back.

Banned from being captain for two years. Probably about as long as Tim Paines international renaissance can last you would think. Plenty of time for a public rehabilitation if needed.

Can’t believe it’s so serious that they have resorted to year bans, but no heat on Lehmann for overseeing the whole fiasco

A year from now the furore will largely have blown over and Smith will be back in the team in time for next years Ashes. No question in my mind about that. So will Bancroft.

I don’t have any sympathy with Smith, quite frankly, I don’t really buy this ‘noble deed’ line in throwing himself in front of the bus to protect Bancroft. He has woefully misjudged the expected response from everyone - fellow professionals, the media, the Australian public and deserves what is coming his way.

What’s been most illuminating to me in reading various pieces in the past 72 hours or so has been how much the Aussie public were frustrated with the way their cricketers would continue to headbutt the ‘line’. I genuinely thought that they pretty well bought into all of that as well.

If, as looks likely, this is the end for Warner, then it’s ‘good riddance’ from me. It sounds as though he is completely alienated from the rest of the group. A super attacking opening bat let down by an attitude which stank to high heaven. Really dislikeable bloke.

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Oh yeah, Lehmann getting away from this whole sorry saga scot-free is amazing. Simply amazing. Must be teflon coated.

The cricinfo article is sketchy. Is this banned from all cricket or just banned from playing for Australia?

This is very hard to understand, really. But he’s only got a year left, and that year’s likely to be fairly miserable, if I was him I think I’d bail out now while trying to stress that it was nothing to do with me, guv.

Just a cricket Australia ban

Oh yeah, I realise they can’t stop them playing under, say, the ECB’s jurisdiction but this means they can’t even play shield cricket?

Lehmann should be gone - how does he explain the footage of him during the incident??? I’m dumbfounded!!

CA had a chance to really take a look at the toxic culture within the team, but leaving Lehmann in totally stuffs that. Though being the end of the season, I’m still thinking/hopeful there will be a change - Gillespie should pick them up at the end of the year

I think the ‘opportunity for a fresh start’ line will get used as soon as a replacement has been lined up. It’s harder to replace the coach than the captain, so everyone’s buying a little time I reckon.

Yep out of all Aus cricket - don’t think they can even play grade cricket!

Think the Gillespie shout is a good one - he wrote a conveniently timed article excoriating Warner and co recently, and he has both the respect of the players from his playing days and the CV experience from his coaching career so far.

The Lehmann stuff is doubly galling in that he was always keen to put this ‘I relate to the lads, I’m practically one of them!’ line across… until disassociation was more appealing

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So Bancroft’s effectively out of the Aus team for two years then because I expect they’ll want him to show some domestic form for a season before picking him again. I think it’ll be very hard for him to get back in the team.

a year from now… so that means we’ll still get the chance to see a full strength Aussie* team get obliterated** in the World Cup and the Ashes

(*) and well rested
(**) trounce all-comers

I believe that Cricket Australia would need to provide a clearance for them to play anywhere else as they are centrally contracted. So no playing in the IPL etc. I could be wrong though.

I imagine they’ve had their contracts terminated!

Even by English cricket standards, this is pretty glass half empty, man. Warner’s gone! Lehmann’s squirming! The Aussie cricket team has been shamed! It’s OK to enjoy it just a little bit :wink:

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