The Australian cricket team's ball-tampering scandal has been described as a "national day of shame." Former captain Michael Clarke hoped he was just dreaming when he first heard the news on Sunday. No, it was real.
"WHAT THE ...... HAVE I JUST WOKEN UP TO. Please tell me this is a bad dream," Clarke tweeted.
The team, in a plot led by captain Steve Smith and senior players, confessed to ball tampering against South Africa in the third test at Cape Town on Saturday.
Cameron Bancroft carried out the tampering by using yellow adhesive tape to pick up dirt and rub it on the red leather ball to rough it up in an attempt to get it to reverse swing on day three at Newlands. But Bancroft was caught doing it on the field by television cameras, and then attempted to hide the evidence by shoving the tape down his trousers before he was questioned by umpires.
Smith initially said he had no intention of quitting as test captain. After a phone call with Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland on Sunday, Smith and vice captain David Warner agreed to stand down from their leadership roles for the remainder of the third test match. Cricket Australia said wicketkeeper Tim Paine will stand in as captain in Newlands.
Sutherland said the tampering scandal was a "very sad day for Australian cricket" and he was "extremely disappointed and shocked."
"Australian cricket fans want to be proud of their cricket team. I feel this morning they have every reason to wake up and not be proud of the team," Sutherland added.
"One of the unique things about the game of cricket, is it is to be played not only within the laws of the game, but in the spirit of the game. And, activities on the field yesterday, are neither within the laws of the game or the spirit of the game."
Former England captain Michael Vaughan was scathing in his criticism of the Australians.
"Steve Smith, his Team & All the management will have to accept that whatever happens in their careers they will all be known for trying to CHEAT the game," Vaughan tweeted.
Another former England captain, Nasser Hussain, accused Australia of a double standard.
"The Australian camp has been lecturing people lately on how the game should be played and a line that shouldn't be crossed," Hussain told Britain's Sky Sports. "Some of the stuff that has come out of the Australian camp, especially, has been laughable.
"Well, it looks like they're on the wrong side of the line here. It looks terrible, a premeditated move to get reverse swing and a blatant attempt to ball tamper."
Ex-Australia batsman Jimmy Maher dubbed it a national day of shame for the country "and for the entire cricket world, really."