▁of ▁the ▁squad ▁had ▁committed ▁to ▁Pack er . ▁News ▁of ▁the ▁W SC ▁plans ▁were ▁in ad vert ently ▁le aked ▁to ▁Australian ▁journal ists , ▁who ▁broke ▁the ▁story ▁on ▁ 9 ▁May . ▁Im medi ately , ▁all ▁hell ▁broke ▁loose ▁in ▁the ▁h ither to ▁conserv ative ▁world ▁of ▁cr icket . ▁Not ▁unexpected ly , ▁the ▁English ▁were ▁critical ▁of ▁what ▁they ▁quickly ▁dub bed ▁the ▁" Pack er ▁Circ us " ▁and ▁reserved ▁particular ▁vit ri ol ▁for ▁the ▁English ▁captain ▁Tony ▁Gre ig , ▁for ▁his ▁central ▁role ▁in ▁organ ising ▁the ▁break - away . ▁Gre ig ▁retained ▁his ▁position ▁in ▁the ▁team , ▁but ▁was ▁stri pped ▁of ▁the ▁captain cy ▁and ▁ost rac ised ▁by ▁everyone ▁in ▁the ▁cr icket ▁establishment , ▁most ▁of ▁whom ▁had ▁been ▁singing ▁his ▁pra ises ▁just ▁weeks ▁before . ▁ ▁It ▁seemed ▁certain ▁that ▁all ▁Pack er ▁players ▁would ▁be ▁b anned ▁from ▁Test ▁and ▁first ▁class ▁cr icket . ▁The ▁Australian ▁players ▁were ▁a ▁divided ▁group ▁and ▁the ▁management ▁made ▁their ▁dis ple asure ▁clear ▁to ▁the ▁Pack er ▁sig ne es . ▁Dis p ir ited ▁by ▁this ▁turn ▁of ▁events ▁and ▁ham per ed ▁by ▁poor ▁form ▁and ▁ind ifferent ▁weather , ▁Australia ▁crash ed ▁to ▁a ▁ 3 – 0 ▁defeat , ▁surrender ing ▁the ▁Ash es ▁won ▁two ▁years ▁before . ▁In ▁light ▁of ▁the ▁controvers ies ▁the ▁Sydney ▁Gazette ▁article ▁clearly ▁showed ▁West ▁Indian ▁captain ▁C live ▁Lloyd ▁interview ed ▁after