CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AFP) — Australia ball-tampering scandal — who’s saying what:

“I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and I want to be here (the press conference) because I’m accountable for my actions. I’m not proud of what’s happened. I’ve got to live with the consequences and the damage to my own reputation that comes with.”

— Cameron Bancroft

“I’ll be honest, I was nervous about it because with hundreds of cameras around that’s always the risk.”

— Bancroft

“The leadership group knew about it. We spoke about it at lunch. I’m not proud of what happened. It’s not in the spirit of the game.”

— Captain Steve Smith

“My integrity, the team’s integrity, the leadership group’s integrity has come into question and rightfully so. I am embarrassed to be sitting here and talking about this. We’re in the middle of such a great series. For something like this to overshadow the great cricket that has been played and not have a single cricket question in here, that’s not what I’m about and what the team is about. It’s big error in judgment but we’ll learn from this and move past it.”

— Smith

“We spoke about it and thought it was a possible way to get an advantage.”

— Smith

“No I won’t. I still think I’m the right person for the job.”

— Smith says he will not resign

“The Captain of Australia admits to cheating… put him on a plane out of here Cricket Australia. Your Legacy deserves better.”

— Former South Africa spinner Pat Symcox on Twitter

“This was a premeditated attempt by the Australian team to cheat.”

— Former England captain Nasser Hussain

“Shocked & disappointed.”

— Former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson

“Disappointing and disgraceful…….. a shocking day for the baggy green.”

— Ex-Aussie fast bowler Craig McDermott

“I feel a bit for Cameron Bancroft because I don’t think he’s taken it upon himself to do something and put it in his pocket. Who’s told him to do that? It’s important to find out that. I think we’ve got to get to the bottom of why that has happened and what was it. You’ve got to own up. You’ve been caught, you’ve got to own up and say what was it you were hiding. You can’t have that in the game.”

— Ex-Aussie star Shane Warne

“WHAT THE …….. HAVE I JUST WOKEN UP TO. Please tell me this is a bad dream.”

— Michael Clarke, who was Australia captain before Smith

“Steve Smith,his Team & ALL the management will have to accept that whatever happens in their careers they will all be known for trying to CHEAT the game … #SAvAUS.”

— Ex-England skipper Michael Vaughan

“In my opinion he has tampered with the ball, and used an object to do that. Clearly he’s hiding something away from the umpires and when they approach him he pulls something outside of his pocket.”

— South Africa’s former captain Graeme Smith on TV commentary

“My 2cents worth – This will be Darren Lehmann’s greatest test as a coach, cos I will struggle to believe that this was all Bancroft’s idea. #SandpaperGate.”

— Kevin Pietersen on Twitter. Smith insists that Lehmann was not involved

“In tennis, players can skip the mandatory press conference, if they pay a hefty fine. I imagine if that option was available in cricket, CA would be writing a cheque right now. #damagecontrol.”

— Former India women’s player Snehal Pradhan