The Australian cricket cheating scandal has hit the media – and, unsurprisingly, has been given no shortage of airtime. Newspaper front pages summed up how big the cricket story was. The Herald Sun reflected the thoughts of many with its “sack them all” headlines.
The two Sydney dailies both ran with “Shame”.
The Courier-Mail asked for the authorities to “show some balls” while the Northern Territory News was, as is often the case, the most quoted with its page one headline “Why I’ve got some sticky near my dicky”.
Some of today’s front pages
Meanwhile, radio was engulfed with talkback calls from the moment the news broke very early on Sunday. SEN 1116 put its new weekday morning host Gerard Whateley to air at 11am Sunday with a two-hour special, which included the Cricket Australia press conference.
The scandal was the major talking point on radio this morning.
TalkingLifestyle hosts John and Garry started coverage after 5am with their first caller saying he was giving up on cricket after a lifelong relationship.
“Cricket Australia is completely out of touch,” said 3AW’s Ross Stevenson, who spent part of the weekend talking to former test cricketers who were stunned with the CA reaction to what happened in South Africa.
2GB’s Alan Jones wondered if Cricket Australia should have sent a “common sense” officer to South Africa. “The board of Cricket Australia should go,” said Jones.
“The board of Cricket Australia should go,” said Alan Jones
“Win at any cost… good on you,” said Kyle Sandilands on KIIS 1065. “Did they do something to the ball?” asked Jackie O on a program not noted for its sports coverage. Executive producer Bruno Bouchet discussed the scandal on his highlight segment in the first hour of the show. He asked: “Is this not the most Australian thing you could do? We are a nation of convicts. Look at you, Kyle… your whole career is based on a lie.” The KIIS Sydney breakfast show tried to call Kyly Clarke, wife of former cricket captain Michael, but she didn’t answer.
Triple M Melbourne’s Hit Breakfast opened the show with Eddie McGuire and Luke Darcy scratching the surface of what happened in South Africa, noting they would be covering the story in much detail later in the program. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce was an early guest, mainly to talk about the maiden Perth-London nonstop flight. When asked about its cricket sponsorship, Joyce said: “We are disappointed and have been talking to Cricket Australia to make sure it is addressed very fast. This is not good for Australia’s image.” The program then spoke to former fast bowler Merv Hughes, who was shown on the Fox Sports coverage at the ground as he hosted a touring party to the match. “As a former player I feel betrayed,” said Hughes. “If the whole team knew about it they are all complicit.”
“Win at any cost… good on you,” said Kyle Sandilands. “Did they do something to the ball?” asked Jackie O.
Sam Pang opened the Nova Melbourne breakfast show with Chrissie Swan as Jonathan Brown was on a plane back from covering the AFL in Perth for Fox Footy. Pang searched for a cliché and said, “It was one of the darkest days in cricket.” Swan admitted she knew little about cricket, but said she had heard it happened all the time, but the shame is getting caught.
At Nova Sydney, Sarah McGilvray agreed with hosts Fitzy and Wippa that the punishment was too lenient for the crime.
Fiveaa’s David Penberthy was expected to be off on a long run this morning after an angry tweet yesterday calling the board at Cricket Australia “piss weak”. “I can’t remember ever feeling disgust about another Australia team. They are a joke. If a fish rots from the head, then James Sutherland is the biggest stunned mullet in Australia right now.”
Garry Lyon and Tim Watson spoke with former Australian cricket coach John Buchanan on SEN 1116 breakfast about playing hard yet staying within the rules.