It would be like All Blacks legend Richie McCaw being caught match-fixing.
That's how veteran Australian cricket writer Robert Craddock describes the Aussie ball-tampering saga in terms that Kiwis might truly appreciate.
A nation has turned on its beloved side after captain Steve Smith admitted ordering the ball alterations during the third day of the third test against South Africa at Cape Town.
The Courier Mail journalist admits he is disgusted by what unfolded in front of the world's eyes, as cameras picked up Cameron Bancroft and his now infamous yellow sticky tape on Saturday night (NZT).
- ICC suspends Smith for final test
Craddock has compared the incident to one that rocked New Zealand in the 1980's, but in his opinion, Steve Smith and his men crossed the line further than Trevor and Greg Chappell at the MCG that day.
"I've been covering cricket for 30 years," Craddock told Andrew Gourdie and Jim Kayes on RadioLIVE.
"This is our equivalent of the under-arm incident - but to me this is worse.
"It would be like Richie McCaw being caught match-fixing.
"That moment in 1982, at least [Trevor] Chappell was within the laws of the game at the time. This is brazen, shame-faced, calculated, pre-mediated cheating.
"It would be like Richie McCaw being caught match-fixing.
"There are reportedly five people who discussed this in the changing rooms, and not one voice spoke up and said 'nope, this is not a good idea'. A schoolboy would know it wasn't the right move."
Craddock couldn't foresee the under-siege skipper keeping the role in the future, pointing to the side's recent animal-pack mentality when it comes to on and off-field verbal battles.
"The standards in this team have been going down and down and down," Craddock told RadioLIVE. "Conveniently, we sledge folks whenever we like too.
"David Warner leaps into Quinton de Kock and then reacts with horror when it's sent back to him.
"I can't see how [Smith] gets out of this. The outrage is red hot.
"You have to be living in Australia to understand the gale force, tsunami-type protest. I have never seen anything like this.
"I think his position is untenable."
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