Former India captain Sourav Ganguly reacts on Ball tampering controversy yesterday and slammed Australian cricket team’s “win at all cost” attitude. He said that the plot of ball tampering by Steve Smith and company is a “sheer” stupidity.
“Steven Smith need not have to do it (ball tampering). I think what Smith did or David Warner did or Bancroft did was absolute stupidity,” Ganguly said at a panel discussion on ‘India Today’ channel.
Steve Smith has been banned for 4th test against South Africa by ICC following his main plot in ball tampering incident that saw team-mate Cameron Bancroft tamper with the ball by using yellow sticky tape during the third Test against South Africa in Newlands, Cape Town. Bancroft managed to escaped with a fine of 75 per cent match fee and three demerit points.
“Actually, I think he (Smith) had a brain fade. I thought it was for the sake of just saying when he last said in India that he had a brain fade. But after this incident I thought he actually had a brain fade,” said the former India skipper who had many run-ins with he Australians in his career,” Ganguly said.
“This idea of win at all cost (of the Australians) is not right. There was this underarm delivery in a Test against New Zealand in 1981. That is the way Australia have been playing cricket,” Ganguly added.
Ajinkya Rahane replaces Steve Smith as RR captain. Reports “https://t.co/1acl7xXXSX” pic.twitter.com/GZu3wRrUKI
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Prince of Kolkata also recalled the days when India toured Australia in 2008, which was full of controversies.
“In the contest in 2008, there was only one side playing with the spirit of the game. I was batting at 60-odd and Ricky Ponting got me out one bounce. After I got out, the Test match was different,” Ganguly said.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, who also took part in the discussion, said Smith and Bancroft should have been given harsher punishments by the International Cricket Council.
“Without any proper investigation and without any proof (in the Monkeygate scandal in 2008), I was handed three-match ban and here you see the player (Bancroft) who was actually involved in ball tampering was let off with a fine of 75 per cent of match fee,” he said.
“Both Smith and Bancroft should have been given harsher punishments. I will not say ban of 6 months or life ban but maybe 2 or 3 matches
Harbhajan Singh earlier slammed ICC for letting off Bancroft with 75 per cent of his match fee and not imposing a ban,. He also recalled his old days, when five of the Indian players were banned for a small offence. Read: Harbhajan slams ICC’s decision in ball tampering row
