Just Not Cricket: Almost 60 Per Cent of Students Were Affected Negatively by #sandpapergate

Three weeks after the entire continent was rocked by a piece of sandpaper, we asked our members how they feel about the Australian Cricket team.

Almost sixty per cent of students have said #sandpapergate "changed their opinion of the Australian Cricket team in a negative way,” in a survey for Student Edge.

Our market-research arm, Youth Insight, asked 723 students between the ages of 12 and 20 to share their thoughts on the ball tampering scandal that incited an international incident (and several teary press conferences).

Of those surveyed, 22.5 per said they don’t consider Australian cricketers to be fair.

However, despite their brutal assessment of the team in the wake of the alleged cheating, many students revealed a willingness to forgive the major culprits.

Forty-nine per cent of respondents said the players at the center of the scandal—Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith and David Warner—had been punished enough. (Bancroft, who was caught on camera roughing-up the ball in Cape Town, was given a nine-month suspension, while Captain Smith and Vice-Captain Warner, the latter of whom gave Bancroft the instruction, have been forced to take the year.)

I would give anything to have this behind me and be back representing my country. But I meant what I said about taking full responsibility as Captain of the team. I won’t be challenging the sanctions. They’ve been imposed by CA to send a strong message and I have accepted them.

— Steve Smith (@stevesmith49) April 4, 2018

Thirty-six per cent of students said they still consider themselves a fan of the Australian cricket team, and 44 per cent said they still consider the Australian cricket team to be role models.

But not all young people will stick with the team following this particular sticky scenario, with 15.2 per cent saying they no longer considered themselves a fan of the Australian cricket team.

Photo: Instagram (steve_smith49)