Ball tempering row: Australian cricket's 'culture' has returned to haunt

An independent review of Cricket Australia's culture was released, concluding that "winning without counting the costs" has been an entrenched habit of the Australian team for decades

On the face of it, there is much to celebrate about Australian cricket right now. The sport has money to burn thanks to recent large pay-TV deals, the Big Bash has strong TV ratings; the women’s cricket team is one of the most successful and highly regarded Australian sporting teams. There has been a surge in junior participation, and many Australians still regard it as our national sport – it is certainly the dominant sport of the summer.

By contrast, cricket in the media is lurching from one crisis to another, with the fallout from