Ex-Australian cricketer Jimmy Maher has spoken out against the Australian cricket team currently facing South Africa, suggesting they should forfeit the series following their ball tampering scandal during the third test.
The International Cricket Council has announced that current Australian captain Steve Smith has been banned for the series, unable to compete in the fourth Test after he and the leadership group admitted to premeditated cheating.
The ICC have been swift in taking action against the Australian captain and it seems as if they will deal the next set of consequences to vice-captain David Warner and the immediate culprit Cameron Bancroft as they turn their attention to others involved.
Former international player, Maher has other ideas though, believing that the Test should not go ahead.
“I have no idea how we perform, I have no idea who comes in and for that reason, and due to the dire circumstances they are, I don’t believe that Test match should go ahead,” Maher said on Fox Sports News on Tuesday.
“I think we should hand the trophy to South Africa. I think we should get on a plane. I think we should come home and face the music and face whatever bans there are.
History tells us that Maher is right and Australia should forfeit the series. In 2006, Pakistan forfeited their series against England following accusations that they were ball tampering.
Two years later the Pakistan cricket team were found not guilty of ball tampering, however they took immediate action in light of the accusations, which is what Maher is suggesting Australia should do.
“I just don’t see how we can walk onto that field come Friday and start a new Test match given what’s happened," Maher continued.
“It just doesn’t seem right that that’s going to happen. Given the circumstances and they are extenuating circumstances, this isn’t just an aberration, this is a massive, massive issue and I think for that reason this Test match shouldn’t go ahead.”
