Ben Stokes

[blueheeler1]

They are going mental in the West Australian press over the "Not Guilty" verdict.

They compare the Australian ball tampering idiots and their harsh punishment compared to no-punishment (yet) of Stokes.

They are saying that heavy drinking and brawling the night before a game is more than enough reason to punish the player and that he may well go on to enjoy the Big Bash payment whilst those Australians' can't.

I always muse over the "bringing the game into disrepute" comment if a player's "inappropriate" action occurs at a time when there is no game being played.

Does the game suffer by association with a talented player who displays anti-social behavior outside of the game? Do players seek to be or want to be "role models?" for the game?

Does excellence in sport, or music or acting automatically mean that person is elevated to Sainthood?

The particular sporting code of conduct or the Courts are responsible for adjudicating on these matters and do.

Its their call.

I just watch with interest.

[sinkov]

They are going mental in the West Australian press over the "Not Guilty" verdict.

They compare the Australian ball tampering idiots and their harsh punishment compared to no-punishment (yet) of Stokes.

They are saying that heavy drinking and brawling the night before a game is more than enough reason to punish the player and that he may well go on to enjoy the Big Bash payment whilst those Australians' can't.

I always muse over the "bringing the game into disrepute" comment if a player's "inappropriate" action occurs at a time when there is no game being played.

Does the game suffer by association with a talented player who displays anti-social behavior outside of the game? Do players seek to be or want to be "role models?" for the game?

Does excellence in sport, or music or acting automatically mean that person is elevated to Sainthood?

The particular sporting code of conduct or the Courts are responsible for adjudicating on these matters and do.

Its their call.

I just watch with interest.

I've never bought into this role model stuff, there are parents, family members and teachers who are responsible for how the young are, brought up, educated and inculcated with decent values. It's not the job of footballers etc to set an example, they're just ordinary, flawed human beings like the rest of us, and are going to go off the rails from time to time.


As for the reaction of the Aussie press, that's good to hear, the more we do that annoys and upsets them the better, imo.

[Supersub6]

What a surprise that the Australian press are making mischief about Stokes ---I could have understood it if he had been playing with his balls at the time, I can't stand ball tampering

[blueheeler1]

What a surprise that the Australian press are making mischief about Stokes ---I could have understood it if he had been playing with his balls at the time, I can't stand ball tampering

The Australia press will do all in its power to throw hissy fits at Stokes and did so when the story first broke and there was a perceived chance he would play test cricket against Australia.

They became very anxious when Stokes went to NZ as it was close to Australia and a call could have been on from English cricket. The Aussie press had a field day.

Taking the high moral ground (as they so often do against non-Australian players) is always fraught with danger as what goes around comes around.

[oldcolner]

England rugby international Danny Cipriani has been fined £2,000 after an assault in a Jersey nightclub.
The Gloucester star pleaded guilty to common assault and resisting arrest and was ordered to pay £250 compensation to a woman police officer.
Three other charges - assault on police, larceny and being disorderly on licensed premises - were dropped.
The 30-year-old fly-half has seven days to pay the fine and compensation or face 10 weeks in prison.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Crikey, they don't mess about in the Channel Islands do they? Justice and retribution expeditiously dished out.

[sinkov]

England rugby international Danny Cipriani has been fined £2,000 after an assault in a Jersey nightclub.
The Gloucester star pleaded guilty to common assault and resisting arrest and was ordered to pay £250 compensation to a woman police officer.
Three other charges - assault on police, larceny and being disorderly on licensed premises - were dropped.
The 30-year-old fly-half has seven days to pay the fine and compensation or face 10 weeks in prison.

Amazing how quickly some legal systems work, this would have dragged on for months in this country, with the consequent stress for all those concerned plus the expense. When we lived in France there were a couple of girls assaulted locally at 2 am one Thursday morning. They called the police, they picked up the culprits a couple of hours later, they were in court on Saturday morning, and in prison on Saturday afternoon. I could accept the lengthy delays in our system if it eradicated miscarriages of justice, but it doesn't.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

If that had been in the UK it would have gone to Crown Court, with the ensuing media circus sometime in February, 2020.

[oldcolner]

I suppose it helped he plead guilty to some and they dropped others.

I’m surprised Alex Hales has got away with lying about not being there and with a video of him stamping on Ali’s head.

[sinkov]

I’m surprised Alex Hales has got away with lying about not being there and with a video of him stamping on Ali’s head.

Exactly what I mean OC, they take months getting these cases into court, and then they still don't do the job properly.