Mark Watson and Marc Peard chat about the integrity of the Australian Cricket team.
An Australian cricketer who lives in Rotorua says the actions of the Australian national side are disheartening.
Australia has been left embarrassed and ashamed after its cricket captain Steve Smith confessed to hatching a plan with senior players to cheat South Africa by tampering with the ball in the thirdtest.
Smith and Cameron Bancroft, the fielder chosen to carry out the tampering, admitted to cheating after Bancroft was caught on television using a piece of sticky tape to rub dirt into the ball, then trying to hide the tape down his trousers when umpires suspected something was up.
Stephen Nicholls, who plays Baywide premier cricket for Rotorua-based side Central Indians, moved here from Australia almost two years ago, but "absolutely" still considers himself an Australian. He was as shocked as anyone by the cheating scandal.
"It's pretty ordinary viewing to be honest, being labelled a cheat is probably the worst thing for an Aussie, I would've thought. Especially when the Aussie captain is doing it, not good at all.
Australian Stephen Nicholls in action for Central Indians in the Baywide Premier cricket competition. Photo / File
"It's just stupidity really, I just don't know why they would've done it. Obviously, us Aussies are very competitive, but you want to win the right way. For all the fans to see that, it's pretty disheartening to be honest," said Nicholls.
He said he expected Australian cricketers to "cop it for years to come now". He had not spoken to many of his Rotorua teammates since the scandal broke, but said he had been tagged in plenty of posts on Facebook.
"Everyone loves to drive it into the Aussies and they're not going to let this one go too quick, I don't think. We're just going to cop it for ages.
"I know [captain Steve Smith] has been banned for one match, but I don't think that will be the end of it, they're going to have to come down hard on him. I don't think he can be captain anymore, I think that's a given, but he's too good of a player not to come back at some stage."
Smith and vice-captain David Warner were demoted mid-test as Australia crumbled to a 322-run defeat to South Africa in Cape Town.
