This evening, I watched two grown men front the media and thereby, the world and acknowledge something they did wrong. They were both shattered. Filled with shame about ‘letting everyone down.’ Their families. Their team. Their country. They mentioned living with regret for the rest of their lives. One of them broke down several times. The other looked broken and fragile. They had just landed in the country after being booed out of another, flanked by officers, called vile names and slaughtered on social media. Without knowing the context, you’d be forgiven for thinking they’d committed a heinous crime. Murder perhaps. Or rape or assault. Or maybe they violently bashed their partners. Or a child. But no. The reality is they tampered with a ball in a sport at an international level. Watching Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith receive the abuse and badgering from strangers who they don’t know was mind-boggling. Seeing them front the media to read their statements, break down, and then have to respond to questions from journos was heart-breaking. These are young men in their twenties. Yes, they did something wrong in a sport. There is no doubt about that. And yes, it is disappointing. But do …
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