Steve Smith Smith did not deliberately scuff up crease - Australia captain Paine

[TheWall]

Old habits die hard 

Convict genes....

[BacktoCricaddict]

34 minutes ago, waga said:

He was just shadow batting because thats all he thinks about. He can't sleep before he bats he's so excited. It had no affect on the match unlike the ridiculous time wasting in the 3rd innings.

 

It would be easy to believe him if we saw video footage from stump cameras from other times he has done it - in this match or any other.  

Edited January 12, 2021 by BacktoCricaddict

[NameGoesHere]

12 hours ago, Serpico said:

maybe I am dumb so can someone explain if its really big deal? pant can always make a new guard no? in fact it would actually waste some time for bowling team when we are trying to draw the game. At worst its a distraction for a well set batsman but teams already sledge, bowl fake balls etc to disturb batsman's focus and all of those are accepted as fair game.. maybe smith just invented a new form of distraction?

 

Yeah the intention is still very petty and childish from smith but why are everyone reacting so seriously here? its no where near using sandpaper or bullying umpires level cheating

 

At that level of the game, when the match is on the line, players tend to look for the slightest edge because, however slight, that advantage is often enough to win.   The high bar of excellence in international cricket leaves very little margin between victory, defeat or draw.

 

Now imagine as a batsman that you're fighting for your lives on the 5th day, backs to the wall and defeat most likely.  Now you come back to see that the guard you've marked has vanished.  Sure you can mark it again, but maybe there's scope for doubt in your mind, or a removal of a comfort factor, or even superstition.   Is the new guard just right? Am I a centimetre or millimetre off?  Against a hostile, arguably an ATG attack, where you need immense concentration just to survive, just that sliver of a doubt can mean that you've lost your wicket.  Maybe you're hesitant, maybe you're just that bit off in your timing.  Maybe they've got into your head. And you've lost the game.

 

Pant didn't allow it to happen.  One could argue anyone who does allow it to happen is mentally weak, but that would be wrong.

 

This was a clear and blatant effort to change the dynamics of the game and get an unfair advantage by means, if not against any express law of cricket, certainly against every code.  

 

Smith and Paine can say anything.  But they both know, the Indian players know and anyone who's played or followed the game should know.  This was pretty piss poor from Smith, in fact downright pathetic.