Former Aussie skipper Steve Smith broke down in a press conference today, as the number one ranked test batsman in he world took full responsibility and admitted to his mistake in the ball-tampering scandal.
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This is what Smith had to say,
“I want to, as captain of the Australian cricket team, I take full responsibility,” he said.
“I made a serious error in judgement.
“It was a failure of leadership, my leadership.
“I will do everything I can to make up for my mistake and the damage it’s caused.
“If any good is to come from this it can be a lesson for others and I hope I can be a force for change.
“I know I’ll regret this for the rest of my life. I’m absolutely gutted.”
“I say two things, or three things,” he said. “Firstly, I’m deeply sorry. I love the game of cricket, I love entertaining young kids, I love kids wanting to play the great game of cricket that I love.
“The two other things is that, any time you think about making a questionable decision, think about who you’re affecting, you’re affecting your parents.
“To see the way my old man’s been … it hurts. I just want to say I’m sorry for the pain that I’ve brought to Australia and the fans and the public, it’s devastating and I’m truly sorry.”
Smith repeatedly broke down and could barely control his tears in a jam packed Sydney press conference.
Widely acknowledged as the best test batsman in the world, and one of the best players of his generation, Smith’s expulsion for 12 months from international cricket will certainly tarnish his legacy.
We wonder what the future holds for this talented Aussie batsman.
WATCH THE PRESS CONFERENCE:
Watch LIVE: Steve Smith addresses the media after returning home to Sydney https://t.co/ljh0A32bMh
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) March 29, 2018