Australia’s captain Steve Smith (R) shakes hand with Pakistan’s head coach Mickey Arthur at the end of the first day-night cricket Test match between Australia and Pakistan in Brisbane on December 19, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Saeed KHAN / IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE
Ball tampering: Mickey Arthur slams toxic Australian team culture
Mickey Arthur says the team culture in the Australian side was always on its way to getting out of hand.
Australia’s captain Steve Smith (R) shakes hand with Pakistan’s head coach Mickey Arthur at the end of the first day-night cricket Test match between Australia and Pakistan in Brisbane on December 19, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Saeed KHAN / IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE
Former South Africa and Australian cricket coach, Mickey Arthur says he could have predicted a scandal of the magnitude of the ball tampering controversy that has rocked cricket in the past week.
In a column published by Players Voice, Arthur slammed what he terms a “deterioration of standards” in the Australian national setup which was allowed to continue to the point that Cricket Australia (CA) were forced to take drastic action in order to avoid alienating stakeholders.
“Unfortunately, it was always going to end like this,” he said.
“Despite generational change, independent reviews and too many behavioural spotfires to list, Cricket Australia and the national team had demonstrated no real willingness or desire to improve the culture within their organisation from season to season.”
Currently working as the head coach of the Pakistani national team, the 49-year old was at the helm of the Australian side for two years. He acknowledged his own failure to deal with the toxic team culture.
“It gives me no pleasure to say this,” he continued.
“Indeed, for the period between 2011 and 2013 it was my job, as national team coach, to make the very changes I just mentioned were needed.”
Arthur said the events at Newlands were unfortunate for, Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft – the three players involved – but could end up as a positive in the broader picture.
“It couldn’t keep going the way it had been,” he added.
All three players apologized for their parts in the incident on Thursday morning, with Smith and Bancroft both fronting up to the media on arrival in Australia, while Warner, revealed to have been the mastermind, issued out an apology and promised to speak out further in the coming days.
The trio have been sanctioned by CA, with Smith and Warner both handed one year ban from international and domestic cricket, while Bancroft – the trigger man – has been suspended for nine months.
Also read: “The punishment does not fit the crime” – Shane Warne weighs in on ball tampering
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