As you have probably heard by now, the Aussie cricket team has been caught cheating in a Test match against South Africa and it’s not a good time to be a cricket fan right now. Cricket fans around the globe are wondering if the Aussie cricket captain will hang onto his job and the general public in Australia would be open to the idea of a public trial.
It’s a tough gig being an international sports star and there is an art to dodging scandal. Usually, the easiest form of defence is ‘throwing someone under the bus’.
In most cases these fallen icons of the sporting field were able to bounce back after being thrown under the bus by a teammate or in some cases they were able to survive even after putting a colleague in the firing line.
It’s a cowardly act but in the dog eat dog world of international sport we thought we take a look at some of the best exponents of the craft.
Steve Smith and the Australian Cricket Team
The Aussie skipper may be one of the best batsmen in Test cricket since Sir Donald Bradman but he fails miserably as a leader in the dressing room.
If you believe what was said at the press conference the Australian Captain got together in the middle of a Test match to have one of his junior players cheat during the game.
Not only was the cricketing world shocked by the act but when explaining his actions in front of the world’s media, Smith then threw Cameron Bancroft under the bus.
The Aussie skipper left his junior partner to explain the situation and then Smith also roped in a few more mates in the team, including the leadership group.
As it stands Smith has lost his job as Aussie skipper and a lucrative IPL contract and his vice-captain has lost his place in the Australian set-up. When it comes to this scandal Smith should be able to rebound along with his junior partner with the former skipper predicted to make it back in time for the Ashes in 2019
Kevin Pietersen
The former England batsman had the ability to divide his own teammates but was an enigma on the field. Pietersen was made the scapegoat by former Captain Andrew Strauss and Alistair Cook for the disastrous tour of Australia in 2013. England surrendered the Ashes to Australia 5-0 and the English Cricket Board were quick to point out Pietersen as the man behind their capitulation.
Pietersen was thrown under the bus by his former teammates and his international career was promptly terminated. England’s leading player made a name for himself in the Big Bash League for the Melbourne Stars and on the commentary circuit. To the relief of many cricket fans in Australia his retirement from the game this year will hopefully mean we will see less of him on the small screen.
Thierry Henry
Arsenal football legend Thierry Henry was singled out by current star Alexis Sanchez over the circumstances surrounding his defection to rivals Manchester United. The former Arsenal frontman is no stranger to controversy himself, having been targeted for his cheating role in a World Cup qualifier.
On this occasion Sanchez was quick to say it was Henry that encouraged to leave Arsenal for one of their bitter rivals in the Premier League. Since his attempt to throw his former colleague under the bus Sanchez hasn’t been able to recapture the form that made him one of the most feared strikers in the game.
Tiger Woods & Steve Williams
Tiger Woods for a time may have been the most recognisable athletes in the world but the former world number one went on a downward spiral after throwing his longtime caddie Steve Williams to the wolves.
Williams was betrayed by Woods as he was unceremoniously fired after the caddie had protected him through some of the biggest scandals to shake the golfing world.
Ben Cousins
The former Brownlow medal winner was known for his prowess in one of the most feared West Coast sides of early 2000. Cousins was a vital cog in a West Coast side that claimed a famous premiership against the Sydney Swans. The former Eagle experienced a spectacular fall from grace as he was named as the ringleader of the Eagles seedy drug culture. Cousins was then blamed for the death of another former premiership player Chris Mainwaring, as he dragged several of his colleagues into his lifestyle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxTwOCtMEaw
Shane Warne
The Teflon Don of the cricketing world, no scandal could stick to Warnie. The King of Spin had no peer in the Australian cricketing team when it came to attracting scandal. Warnie threw everyone he could under the bus from John the Bookmaker, Joe the Cameraman and even his mum. Warnie not only survived everything that was thrown at him by the media and his colleagues but he is now a star on the poker circuit and a respected commentator of the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOvHgjvgDiA
Sonny Bill Williams
Sonny Bill Williams was unknowingly thrown under the bus by South African cricket fans when they brought up his drunken indiscretion with David Warner’s current wife. Williams cheated on his current girlfriend when he became involved with Warner’s wife at a Sydney Hotel before she had met Warner.
McLaren Formula One Team
The McLaren Formula One team have dominated the sport for a number of years but are no strangers to scandal. During the 2007 season, the McLaren leadership decided to throw a former engineer under the bus when it became clear they were spying on rival teams and sharing sensitive information. While the engineer was blamed a settlement was reached by the Ferrari Formula One team to ensure he was compensated for the embarrassment.