Recent drama, being termed #SandpaperGate, around Australian cricketers admited to tampering with the ball has raised so many questions. “We play our cricket _hard but fair_“ has been a pretty common response every time fingers have been pointed at Australian cricketers. And I sided with them more often than not. It is ok to wear aggression on your sleeves —that is till you plain start cheating. All because you think you need to, you have to win. That just doesn’t make any sense.

This win-at-all-cost approach is risky — once you start walking down this path, you eventually lose the sight of what the game is all about. “Spirit of the game” then are just some hollow words you utter every now and then to keep yourself entertained.

As has been so rightly said by Sambit Bal - “this is Australia’s moment of truth”.

It was desperation, Smith said, that drove them to this. But this was about saving a match, not lives. How far elite sportsmen stretch their bodies and mind in search of victory forms part of sports' intrinsic appeal, but the attendant danger of the win-at-all-costs approach is that it thins the line between ultra-competitiveness and sharp practice.

I still do not understand what desperation Smith was talking about. The series was level 1-1. Australia still has one of the best new ball attacks there is. They have been playing some good cricket in recent times. So what’s there to be so desperate towards a win?

And how stupid was this “leadership group” to think and agree on such brainfart, given there are cameras all around? I really doubt these players are this naive.