BRISBANE, Australia (AP) Steve Waugh helped formulate a ''Spirit of Australian Cricket'' pledge during his tenure as captain of the national team, which was one of the most successful in test history.
Now, a ''deeply troubled'' Waugh says it's time for an urgent review.
Following two days of public backlash after Australian captain Steve Smith and opening batsman Cameron Bancroft confessed to cheating, the usually reserved Waugh weighed in with a statement to ''acknowledge the thousands of messages I have received, mostly from heartbroken cricket followers worldwide.''
''The Australian cricket team has always believed it could win in any situation against any opposition, by playing combative, skillful and fair cricket, driven by our pride in the fabled Baggy Green,'' he said. ''I have no doubt the current Australian team continues to believe in this mantra, however, some have now failed our culture.''
Waugh was known to be a hard-nosed competitor, and the term ''mental disintegration'' became synonymous with his style of wearing down opposing teams.
Under his watch in 2003, Waugh said the Australians modified a universal Spirit of Cricket document ''to empower our players to set their own standards and commit to play the Australian way.''
That has gone haywire in recent seasons, with administrators seemingly unwilling to take firm action against poor behavior from international players.
''We must urgently revisit this document, re-bind our players to it and ensure the spirit in which we play is safe-guarded for the future of the sport, and to continue to inspire the dreams of every young kid picking up a bat and ball and for every fan who lives and breathes the game,'' Waugh said.
Cricket Australia sent its head of integrity and high-performance manager to Cape Town on the weekend to investigate the cheating case and determine who was responsible for Bancroft trying to illegally use tape covered with dirt to rub the ball in a bid to give his bowlers extra assistance during the third test against South Africa.
Chief executive James Sutherland left the following day, making a written promise to millions of cricket followers around the country to deal urgently with the matter. Sutherland was to meet the investigating team and the players in Johannesburg on Tuesday and make an announcement on sanctions as quickly as possible.
Bancroft was caught by TV cameras using an amateurish method to scuff the ball, but initially denied any wrongdoing when quizzed by on-field umpires. Smith later admitted that members of the team's leadership group were aware of the plan, and Bancroft pleaded guilty to a charge of ball tampering.
Smith and vice captain David Warner agreed to stand down from their leadership roles before the fourth day of the test, which South Africa easily won to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.
Smith was banned for one test by the International Cricket Council for bringing the game into disrepute - a sanction in line with previous penalties for ball tampering by other teams - but the Australian public has demanded more.
And so speculation has mounted about potentially lengthy bans for Smith and for Warner - who hasn't commented publicly on the incident - and the possibility of coach Darren Lehmann either quitting or being fired. Smith said the coaching staff knew nothing of the tampering plan, but ex-internationals are among those critical of the culture of the current team.
Waugh urged the administration and the fans to proceed with caution.
''A focused and balanced perspective is needed in the condemnation on those involved in this, with a clear and critical consideration to the social impact and mental health of all players,'' he wrote. ''I will support all positive action to ensure an outcome for the betterment of the game, regaining the trust and faith of every fan of cricket.''
Waugh made his test debut at 20 and played in 168 test matches. He won 41 of his 57 tests at the helm of the Australian team from 1999-2004, a winning ratio of 72 percent that is better than any captain with 10 or more tests.
Part of his legacy was the pledge that he worked on with Ricky Ponting, who succeeded him as test captain, and Sutherland among others.
It specified player behavior, shared principles and respect for teammates, opposing teams, match officials and the game.
Leaving all that up to the players has led to this trouble. And Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday reiterated earlier comments he made about the cheating being ''a shocking affront to Australia.''
''We want to get to the point where we can all say once again, not rhetorically but heartfelt and with sincerity, that cricket is a fair game, cricket is a game that is synonymous with a fair go and fair play,'' Turnbull said. ''That is what has to happen.''
