Steve Smith questions ICCs standards after decision reversal

Kagiso Rabada has recently been going through a tumultuous phase over the past few days. He barged into Steve Smith in his follow-through during the second Test owing to which he was handed a two-match ban courtesy of eight demerit points in the last 24 months. However, recently, the bowler has been found not guilty of making inappropriate contact.

Subsequently, his ban has been reversed and he has been fined 25 percent of his match with his demerit points being reduced to seven. Meanwhile, Steve Smith lashed out at Kagiso Rabada for showing exaggerated celebrations. He iterated that the bowler’s job was done and dusted following his wicket and there wasn’t any requirement of the hyped celebration.

“ICC has set the standard, haven’t they?”- Smith  

“I certainly think he (Rabada) bumped me a little bit harder than it actually looked on the footage. It didn’t bother me too much. I guess the emotion after you get out you don’t really… He’s won the battle. What’s the point of over-celebrating? And getting in the face of a batter, you’ve already won the battle.”  Rabada was quoted as saying by NDTV.

The skipper of Australia also took a dig at the International Cricket Council (ICC) reversing the decision and questioned their standards. Also, he emphasized that Rabada made a deliberate contact during the game and also remarked about the message he wouldn’t have given to his teammates following a wicket.

“But they’ve obviously decided what’s deliberate contact and what’s not and apparently it wasn’t. The ICC has set the standard, haven’t they? There was clearly contact out in the middle. I certainly won’t be telling my bowlers to go out there and after you take a wicket go and get in their space. I don’t think that is on and part of the game. But the standard has been set,” he added.

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