Cricket Australia hit out at 'outrageous' criticism of captain Steve Smith
Wednesday 8 March 2017 16:05, UK
Cricket Australia has issued a strong statement in defence of captain Steve Smith after he was criticised by his Indian counterpart Virat Kohli following the second Test.
India triumphed by 75 runs in Bangalore to level the four-Test series at 1-1 but the aftermath of the match was dominated by controversy over the Australians' use of the DRS system.
But Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland thinks the criticism of Smith has gone too far.
"I find the allegations questioning the integrity of Steve Smith, the Australian team and the dressing room, outrageous," said Mr Sutherland.
"Steve is an outstanding cricketer and person, and role model to many aspiring cricketers, and we have every faith that there was no ill-intent in his actions.
"We reject any commentary that suggests our integrity was brought into disrepute or that systemic unfair tactics are used, and stand by Steve and the Australian cricketers who are proudly representing our country."
Live Test Cricket
After the match, Smith blamed a "brain fade", and suggested the incident was a one-off.
The rules forbid players seeking help from the dressing room and India captain Kohli claimed the tourists' transgressed throughout the match.
"We take our decisions on the field ourselves," said Kohli. "We don't ask for confirmation from upstairs.
"I saw that happening two times when I was batting out there. I pointed that out to the umpire as well that I have seen their players looking upstairs for confirmation.
"There is a line that you don't cross on the cricket field."
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has backed Kohli and released a statement in which they asked the International Cricket Council to note Smith's "brain fade" admission.
"The Board of Control for Cricket in India, after due deliberation and seeing the video replays of the episode, steadfastly stands with the Indian cricket team and its captain Mr Virat Kohli," the statement read.
"Mr Virat Kohli is a mature and seasoned cricketer and his conduct on the field has been exemplary.
"Mr Kohli's action was supported by ICC elite panel umpire Mr Nigel Llong, who rushed in to dissuade Mr Steve Smith from taking recourse to inappropriate assistance.
"BCCI has requested the ICC to take cognizance of the fact that the Australian skipper Mr Steve Smith in his press conference admitted to a 'brain fade' at that moment.
"BCCI sincerely hopes that the rest of the matches are played in the true spirit of cricket."
