An emotional Steve Smith broke down regularly as he took full responsibility for the ball-tampering scandal. Smith said he is simply gutted right now and would regret the incident for the rest of his life. “To all of my team-mates, to fans of cricket all over the world and to all Australians who are frustrated and angry. I’m sorry,” a tearful Smith said in a five-minute press conference after being sent home in shame from South Africa.
Former Australia captain Steve Smith broke down in tears as he apologised for his part in the ball-tampering scandal. Cricket Australia has banned Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft for the incident in the third Test against South Africa. “It was a breakdown of my leadership,” said the 28-year-old at a news conference in Sydney. Bancroft and Warner have also confessed to their actions. Smith added: “I am deeply sorry, I love the game of cricket, I love kids aspiring to play the game of cricket that I love. “Any time you think about making a hypothetical decision, think about affecting your parents.
Bancroft spoke to the media and said: “It’s something I will grieve for the rest of my life. I feel like I’ve let everyone fluff in Australia.” The 25-year-old, Bancroft who was playing in just his eighth Test, endured a nine-month ban from international cricket after it was announced he used sandpaper to damage the ball during the third Test against South Africa. He had initially claimed he used tape after the incident was caught on camera.
“I lied. I lied about the sandpaper,” Bancroft said. “I panicked in that situation, and I’m very sorry. I feel like I’ve let everyone down in Australia.” Smith admitted that the Aussie “leadership group” had devised a method to tamper with the ball, and Cricket Australia’s investigation found Warner instructed Bancroft how to carry it out.
Here are the twitter reactions after press release:
Every human do make some mistakes in there life…hope u ll never repeat this mistake & u ll maintain the dignity of gentleman's game…
Accepting mistake is a bigger thing u got my respect @stevesmith49
Cricket ll miss u for a year
Stay strong#SteveSmith#BallTamperingScandal— himanshu soni (@ERhimanshu_soni) March 29, 2018
U gonna feel sad for this guy ??@stevesmith49 #BallTamperingScandal #BallTempering
Rt = Agree pic.twitter.com/gDMGA1QUf0
— Virat Kohli (@Im_virat_) March 29, 2018
Tough to watch Bancroft.
I suspect Smith’s presser will be even worse….#BallTamperingScandal— Julie Snook (@JulieSnook) March 29, 2018
It’s all about Time
.
.#Australiancricket #SteveSmith #BallTamperingScandal #Smith pic.twitter.com/5u9z8Gl7eH— CuriousSlippers (@CuriousSlippers) March 29, 2018
And with that we as Australians should just leave them alone. #BallTamperingScandal pic.twitter.com/gXz6QacIR0
— Chris Bowen (@TheBowen) March 29, 2018
How in adverse times, the very same world that used to be full of praises for you – turns their back at u in worse times. BELITTLING their whole existence by calling them "cheaters". How HARSH we become for people like US! To err is human! #BallTamperingScandal pic.twitter.com/VuE1EXqx7v
— Zarnab Durrani (@zarnabdurrani1) March 28, 2018
Can we just now give Steve Smith a big hug. It would be the Australian thing to do. Pick a man up who has never been so down. #BallTamperingScandal
— Gillian Bowen (@GillianHBowen) March 29, 2018
I think this is the best tweet ever out of millions of tweets about the recent scandal happened in Cape Town test #BallTamperingScandal #SteveSmith ??? pic.twitter.com/UqICeySmRJ
— Sajjath Samly (@samly_19) March 28, 2018
Steve Smith Breaks Down, Says 'There Was A Failure Of Leadership, Of My Leadership. I'm Sorry'. He Was Addresses The Media In Sydney After Returning From South Africa. Stay Strong #SteveSmith. ?? #BallTamperingRow #BallTamperingScandalpic.twitter.com/ogXHvOWzCw
— Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadeja) March 29, 2018
Shattering to watch this….Smith in tears.
— Gav Joshi (@Gampa_cricket) March 29, 2018
NASSER HUSSAIN: Baggy green is tainted by Steve Smith's snarl
https://t.co/dQoS58LOKZ— Nasser Hussain (@nassercricket) March 27, 2018
#Smith – genuine and heartfelt expression of pain.#Bancroft – a young player caught up in the nonsense who is strong enough to front up.#Warner – insidious bad influence, coward and schemer who only had the balls to post something on Twitter.
— Miles Latham (@milesaffixxius) March 29, 2018
This is disgraceful ! @stevesmith49 is not a criminal !!!!! pic.twitter.com/b2SsfakARo
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) March 28, 2018
‘Good people make mistakes’ .. I honestly think Steve Smith & Cam Bancroft are decent guys who had a moment of madness .. they deserve a 2nd chance and hopefully get the right support around them now .. Takes a lot guts to do what they did today ..
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 29, 2018
And boy do I hope that a lot of us are completely wrong in thinking these 3 weren’t the only ones to know, cos it’ll be A WHOLE LOT WORSE for those who knew, if they did…!
I’m done on this subject now!
— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) March 29, 2018
Tough to watch Cameron & Steve go through the 2 statements they just made. They will learn from this & be better in the future I’m sure!
— Mitchell Johnson (@MitchJohnson398) March 29, 2018
Haven't Australia made enough of a spectacle of Steve Smith? I'm blown by what he is being put through.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 29, 2018
DEVASTATING!
— Michael Clarke (@MClarke23) March 29, 2018
Leave a Comment