Smith can’t have two brain cells to rub together -- Lloyd

[K]

'Very, very poor': Smith slammed as a bad sport after pitch scuffing

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/we-aren-t-perfect-paine-sorry-for-swearing-at-umpire-20210111-p56tbv.html

"Steve Smith was slammed for poor sportsmanship by world cricket figures and accused of not having " two brain cells to rub together" after being seen scuffing the guard mark of Indian batsman Rishabh Pant in Sydney.
...

"Let’s start with Steve Smith’s decision to rake his size nines on the crease where Rishabh Pant had marked his guard. That was plain childish. He’s trying to irritate the batsman," Lloyd wrote.

"But with all the cameras around these days, and Smith’s history with the sandpaper, you have to reach the conclusion that he can’t have two brain cells to rub together.

"What was he thinking — if he was thinking anything at all?

"If I’d been umpiring that game, I’d have gone straight to the captain to tell him that I’m reporting his player, and that he’s got to take responsibility for the behaviour of his team. Absolutely disgraceful."

Former bowler Darren Gough said he found Smith's behaviour "shocking".

"Does he think he's invisible with all those cameras," he said on Twitter."


But Paine & Copeland defend him in the article.


The video posted on Sehwag's account:

https://twitter.com/virendersehwag/status/1348528230655950850

[Donny]

What absolute bullshit.

Smith does this, often, when oppo teams are batting. He 'shadow boxes' - including marking his crease. Critics have gone off, prematurly and without any justification. ie. That Smith was cheating.

Appalling comments from those mentioned in the OP.

[Donny]

That includes you, K. Tabloid posting at its worst.

[K]

Umps should just make sure no fielder touches the pitch for any reason.

As for me, Donny... Even if we ignore the ball tampering saga (and how can we?), Smith has a long record of questionable behaviour. That's why he should never captain the country again. I can't understand why Mark Taylor sounds so keen for that to happen when he believes there are a lot more skeletons in the closet re. the ball tampering stuff.

Smith has been fined for repeated abuse at Sheffield Shield level.

Last season, he should have been charged for arguing for ages with an ump about something totally stupid and irrelevant (i.e. not a wicket). I don't know how he got away with it.

Years ago, he had a brain fade and tried to get directions from the dressing room re. whether to go for a TV review. That's obviously illegal...

The list is long. The excuses are wearing thin...

At best, it's like Collingwood always having to deal with another Eddie gaffe. At worst, it says something about the player....

[Pies4shaw]

As Donny says, this is pathetic (at both levels). It's just an attempt by hacks to snipe at greatness.

[K]

There is no greatness in that player. But that would be irrelevant anyway to poor behaviour issues.

Look at the list of past misdemeanours. If an English or S. African player tried to get dressing-room instructions on whether to call for a TV review, we'd not only call that cheating but also demand the player be hanged in the village square.

[Pies4shaw]

Your obsession is becoming a little embarrassing, now.

[K]

Your obsession is more embarrassing.

I produce clear evidence. You just produce insults.

Come clean. Do you actually condone asking the dressing room whether you should call for a TV review? Do you understand why people think that's cheating?

[Donny]

Justin Langer slams ‘ludicrous’ accusation from English legends Steve Smith cheated in Sydney Test

https://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/justin-langer-slams-ludicrous-accusation-from-english-legends-steve-smith-cheated-in-sydney-test/news-story/adf0fe65c2f7131668671e7cee584f55

[K]

Which reminds us all of the Langer incident. The one where Langer knocked off the bails and then he or teammates appealed for the wicket.

Do these bozos really have to do stuff like that? They are representing the country.

[Pies4shaw]

David Lloyd always has to do stuff like that, I'm afraid.

[K]

Here's the Langer incident:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afQvCaPd4t8

At 3:08 they show Langer's actions.

The youtube poster said this: "Justin Langer, one of my all time cricket heroes, commits some very questionable sportsmanship here, match referee let him off, Chris Broad of course."

[Donny]

Bumbles looks 1 short of 2 brain cells.

I've not really followed the settling on the dust on this 'issue'. Have Lloyd or Goughy apologised ?

[ronrat]

Bumbles has never been the same since Thommo smashed him in the goolies.

And the suggestion that no fielder can touch the pitch is as stupid as it comes. It takes away catches on the pitch, some run outs and fieldsmen crossing over when right and left handed batting combinations are playing.

[Donny]

Former Aussie skipper Mark Taylor also spoke with Nine newspapers to reveal that he would do similar actions when Shane Warne was bowling.

“You stand roughly where the batsman is going to stand, look at where the rough is going to be and work out is your bowler bowling too short, too full, those sorts of things,” Taylor said.

“I don’t think it would be any more than that. I dare say the people who are making these comments, and I don’t know who they are, are making more of a name for themselves rather than actually commentating on the bloody game. I think there’s a few conspiracy theories going on out there.”

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(Trent) Copeland also told The Daily Telegraph that Smith was “one of a million people who do this”.

“This is a near concrete-like surface that has deep crevices in it from people marking centre over five days. Steve didn’t erase anything,” he said.

“A batsman will come out and retake centre habitually as well. This is just so far from a story. And the fact that ex-players have weighed in thinking that it was a disgrace, to me, is a bigger disgrace.”