'If the game thinks that ball tampering is a heinous offence, give it a Level 4'
Wednesday 28 March 2018 09:47, UK
Steve Smith could well be considering his future as Australia captain in the wake of the ball-tampering row in Cape Town despite insisting he won't resign, says Mike Atherton.
Smith, 28, said he would not step down after confessing that he and senior players had planned to cheat during the third day of the third Test against South Africa.
Team-mate Cameron Bancroft was charged with ball tampering after cameras caught him attempting to rough up the ball with yellow sticky tape.
Sky Sports Cricket pundit Atherton, who was fined - but not charged with ball-tampering - in 1994 after using dirt from his pocket to dry his hands says Smith will have doubts about his tenure.
Reflecting on the "dirt in the pocket" affair in 1994, Atherton said: "The first thing I did was taking Graham Gooch straight away to the loo at the back of the dressing room and saying 'should I step down?' and he said 'no, do not do that'.
"Whether that was the right advice or not, I don't know. So I was quite surprised to hear Steve Smith say that straight away because I certainly had doubts as to whether that was the right thing to do and I'm sure he'll be having doubts as well.
"Cricket Australia will be asking questions of Steve Smith - 'you're the captain, are you in control of the ship?'
"It has been a difficult series in terms of the behaviour from both sides and it has just given the impression that things are a little out of control.
"That's where the problem is for Smith, I think, in that everything lies at the captain's door and in this instance, it seems that he and some senior players got together to hatch a plan and then got young Bancroft to do it."
In accordance with the International Cricket Committee's Code of Conduct, Bancroft has been charged with a Level Two offence - which means he could be fined between 50-100 per cent of his match fee and/or receive up to two Suspension Points.
Atherton told Sky Sports News that it is perhaps time to impose a tougher punishment if there is sufficient desire within the global game to do so.
"Ball-tampering has gone on and the level of moral indignation is always slightly out of kilter with the offence," he said.
"If the condition of the ball is changed you get a five-run penalty and the ball is changed; that hardly sends the message that this is a heinous crime.
"The Code of Conduct has four levels and this is Level 2, so this is by no means the most serious offence.
"If the game thinks that ball tampering is a heinous offence, give it a Level 4 in the Code of Conduct, if you wish.
"Does it go on? Yes. What do you regard as ball tampering or not? It says you can't throw the ball in on the bounce to scuff it up but teams do it, so there is always that grey area."
Australia trail South Africa by 294 runs going into the fourth day of the third Test, which you can watch live on Sky Sports Cricket from 8.30am. The four-Test series is level 1-1.
