5 important lessons to learn from Australia’s Sandpaper Gate

#Lesson 2: When you’re Wrong, Don’t Boast your Credentials

Cameron Bancroft presided the press conference ahead of his captain and made the whole situation a lot messier. Ideally, Steve Smith should have faced the initial music, extended a heartfelt apology and taken responsibility of the whole mess.

He was apologetic, but not to the core. Smith commented, “I take responsibility as the captain. I need to take control of the ship. Today was a big mistake on my behalf and on the leadership group behalf’s as well.”

When asked about his plans to captain the Australian side in the future, Smith confidently said, “I still think I'm the right person for the job." Cricket Australia lost it at this point of time. The board immediately issued a circular stating that a team of Integrity Officers will be flown to South Africa to have a detailed investigation into the matter.

A good leader is expected to safeguard his teammates. If only Smith had asked media to keep Bancroft out of this fiasco, he could have earned some respect. This angered the fans and left Cricket Australia with no choice but to take some tough decisions in order to safeguard the larger interest of the Australian people.