Aussie team culture issue blown out of proportion: Ponting

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, in his first official reaction to the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australian cricket, said the entire debate and focus on Australian team culture was an “overreaction”.

Though he was shocked at the turn of events that unfolded in South Africa after the third Test, he believes that the matter is now coming to an end. Batting for the disgraced trio of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, he said they have been punished far more harshly than what the rule book prescribed.

Currently in India as the head coach of Delhi Daredevils ahead of the Indian Premier League starting on April 7, Ponting said, “As you know, this is the first time I have actually answered questions on what happened in South Africa. At the end of the day, as a former player and former captain, I must say I was quite shocked to see what actually took place on the field. The pleasing thing for me is that this whole issue is now starting to come to an end. We hear this morning David Warner has also accepted all the sanctions placed on him. So, all three have accepted sanctions. When I was back home about one and a half weeks ago—if you think it was big out here—it was an astronomical issue in Australia. And rightly so. We, as Australians, like to play the game hard and fair and our fans back in Australia expect us to play the game that way.”

Former Australian captain Smith, his deputy Warner and Bancroft were found guilty of tampering with the ball in the Cape Town Test and were subsequently banned by Cricket Australia for 12 and 9 months respectively following an internal enquiry. All three were barred from representing Australia and playing any form of domestic or international cricket. Smith and Warner were later also banned by the BCCI from participating in the IPL.

Known for his uncompromising attitude on the field against opponents, Ponting thinks a break from cricket will be good for the disgraced trio. “It is a good thing for the sake of the game and the players that they stay away from it all now, as hard as it is going to be for them, and rebuild what has, sort of, collapsed for them,” he said.

On the issue of Aussie team culture, though, Ponting clarified that there wasn't much wrong with it, and pointed how the matter was not even an issue in the recent Ashes series which Australia won. “The cultural issue is really an interesting thing for me. If we wind the clock back a couple of months, when Australia won the Ashes, there was no talk of cultural issues whatsoever. These cultural things can be blown out of proportion when the reality inside the dressing room is different from what is being spoken about outside. I don't honestly feel, on this occasion, the cultural stuff that is being spoken about [was an issue and] is being blown out of proportion.”

The two-time World Cup-winning Australian skipper was, however, not too forthcoming on whether more persons needed to be held accountable, including the coach of the embattled team—Darren Lehmann. In fact, he felt the players have already copped a bigger punishment than what should have been given if one went by the rule book. “It is hypothetical what my stand would be on behalf of either coach or players. It is the big cricket picture to what Cricket Australia responded to—what the world and Australian public demanded. The world demanded that these players be treated in a particular way. Now it would appear that the 12-month ban is big, if you consider the one-match ban given to Steve Smith, and no ban for the other two, by the ICC.”

Interestingly, Ponting and former teammate Justin Langer are the leading contenders for the Australian head coach's job. Lehmann stepped down as coach after the ball-tampering issue snowballed and Smith broke down while issuing a tearful apology to the cricket fans, in Sydney.