Ricky Ponting refuses to blame culture for ball-tampering fiasco

The ball-tampering debacle involving Cameron Bancroft has sent shockwaves around the cricketing world. Bancroft along with captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner has been slapped with bans. Darren Lehmann, the head coach of the Australian team has also stepped down after the fourth and final Test at the Wanderers at Johannesburg.

Following the incident, several cricketers have slammed the trio for their shambolic act on the cricket pitch. Recently, Ricky Ponting didn’t voice any opinions on the issue, however, he finally opened up on the incident and expressed his dissatisfaction to the media.

“This is the first time I have actually answered a single question about whatever happened in South Africa over the last couple of weeks. As a past player and past captain, I was quite shocked to see what actually took place on the field,” Ponting was quoted as saying by Sportstar.

“Blown out of proportion”- Ricky Ponting

Australians have been faced with severe criticisms following their antics. They have had several heated altercations following which they have been bashed left and right. However, Ponting feels that the culture of Australian cricket shouldn’t be blamed as the situation inside the dressing room among the players and the authorities can be completely contrasting to what has been discussed.

“The cultural issue for me is a really interesting thing because if you would wound the clock back just a few months, when we won the Ashes, there was no talk of cultural problems whatsoever. I think sometimes the cultural thing can be blown out of proportion a lot when the reality in the dressing room is completely different from what is spoken about all the time,” he added.

Meanwhile, Steve Smith and David Warner have also lost their contracts in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Both were skippers of their respective sides. While Smith was retained by the Rajasthan Royals, David Warner was set to captain the Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, the recent happenings have turned their fortunes around in the wrong direction.

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