"It's just not cricket." For years, the old saying has been used to describe any situation in life deemed unfair or unseemly - cricket long-renowned for its sense of honour and fair play. But now the sport's reputation is in peril after the Australian cricket team were sensationally caught cheating in their latest match. Their specific offence was ball-tampering, considered by purists as one of then ultimate crimes in cricket. The culprit was Cameron Bancroft: a young player at the very start of his career who was recorded by an eagle-eyed cameraman illegally scraping the ball with an foreign object. But it soon emerged that there was more to this story than one rogue individual. In an astonishing post-match press conference, the team's captain, Steve Smith, revealed that he and a group of players devised the ball-tampering plot as a "possible way to get an advantage". In other words, it was a premeditated conspiracy to cheat, with a junior player asked to carry out the dirty work. The immediate reaction was one of outrage. Australia's prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, dubbed the episode a "shocking disappointment", and called for "decisive action". Smith has been suspended as captain, and now awaits further punishment, with some even suggesting a lifetime ban. And while his actions were bad, some have also taken issue with his reaction - specifically his unconvincing attempts at apology. According to psychologist Harriet Lerner, a sincere apology focuses on the specific words or behaviours for which you are sorry. In Smith's case, the words "cheat" and "ball-tampering" were absent from his remarks. Instead he claimed to be "incredibly sorry" for the vague notion of "trying to bring the game into disrepute". He also focused on collective responsibility, rather than his own culpability as captain. When asked who's idea it was, he replied "the leadership group" - a phrase he used throughout the press conference, preventing the blame from falling squarely on one person. Have public apologies become meaningless? Afraid so, some argue. Elite sport is just like the entertainment industry - where personal reputation and endorsements are worth big bucks. Prominent people often make apologies in attempts to preserve their image, but listen carefully and it's clear they don't sincerely take responsibility. Steve Smith is a classic case.