But our cricket team has let us down in a way that until now, many would have said was unimaginable.

The shocking fact that they could cheat seems almost incomprehensible.

For a team that has always held itself above such sordid affairs, it has come as a complete shock to many that they would even consider ball tampering, let alone take action on such a thought.

While the full details have yet to be determined- it appears the ‘leadership group’ concocted a plan to tamper with the ball.

And there can be only one word to describe what they did - stupid.

In the age of technology and a thousand different camera angles, how did they think they could possibly get away with it?

Such disgraceful behaviour has no place in the sport.

With the fallout already beginning- Cameron Bancroft has been charged by the ICC, Smith and Warner removed from their leadership roles in the team and Smith fined his entire match fee and suspended - you can be sure this is not the end of the saga.

But while angry fans have voiced their outrage over the past few days, there is another side to the coin.

It is easy to forget in the heat of the moment that there have been other players and teams found guilty of ball tampering.

South African captain Faf du Plessis has twice been convicted of ball tampering and he still holds the top job.

England captain Mike Atherton was fined in 1994 for ball tampering and in 2006 Pakistan refused to take to the field after tea in a test against England after umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove accused the team of ball tampering.

And who can forget the infamous ball biting incident of Shahid Afridi in 2010.

There is no doubt what happened is a blight on Australian cricket history and those responsible will have to face the music. Will it spell the end of Smith’s captaincy forever? He certainly is not the man to lead the team for the foreseeable future, but with the full story yet to be determined, there could be a way for him to redeem himself further down the track.

Calls for players to be banned for life are somewhat excessive, but it goes to show the gravity of the situation and just how much anger and hurt there is among the Australian public.