Aakash Chopra raises question over Australia's sinful tactics against South Africa

The ongoing third Test between South Africa and Australia was hit by strong controversy after Cameron Bancroft was spotted using a sandpaper to tamper the leather. Footage emerged on the giant screen of Bancroft seemingly working on the ball with a yellow item, before sliding it into his pants. After the incident, on-field umpires Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth met mid-pitch and summoned the 25-year-old.

Bancroft faces the risk of suspension from the final Test of the series if found guilty of tampering. The fact that captain Steve Smith accepted that his team was involved in tampering the ball. What makes this worse is that this was a pre-planned strategy devised by the “leadership group” of the team. The increasing tension off-the-field in the ongoing series where the spirit of cricket was in question makes it an absolutely disastrous time to do something that is so openly against the much talked about spirit.

Speaking on the matter, former India cricketer turned pundit, Aakash Chopra put out a Tweet. He wrote, “Surely, ICC will react under the laws of the game. But the World will be eagerly waiting for Cricket Australia to react appropriately…under the ethics of the game.”

You can see the Tweet below

Surely, ICC will react under the laws of the game. But the World will be eagerly waiting for Cricket Australia to react appropriately…under the ethics of the game.

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 24, 2018

Series Details

The series has witnessed a heated rivalry between the nations right from the start. David Warner’s brawl with Quinton de Kock hogged the headlines during the first Test. Thereafter, Nathan Lyon dropped the ball on AB de Villiers, which was received with criticisms. The second Test was also a witness to some severe altercation.

South Africa speedster Kagiso Rabada got himself tangled in a controversy when he barged into Steve Smith following which he was banned for the remainder of the Test series. However, the ban was reversed and he was allowed to play with a fine of 25 percent of his match-fees along with one demerit point. Nevertheless, the altercations didn’t end there and have been carried forward to the third Test.