Ex-players slam ICC for inaction

NEW DELHI Ex-players slammed the International Cricket Council for not issuing sanctions after Indian skipper Kohli accused his counterpart Smith of abusing the DRS .

One Australian newspaper accused the ICC of being “gutefforts less” in its to quell what is the latest in a series of ugly spats between Test cricket’s top two sides and their captains.

Several former players hinted at bias in the ranks of the ICC. Former Indian wicketkeeper and ex-selector Saba Karim said the ICC’s statement was “bizarre”. Why would somebody from the ICC even talk about Virat Kohli?” Karim told AFP. “He was not even involved in hat incident. Virat Kohli only brought it to the notice of the umpires that this is not the first time it has happened.”

Former Indian opener Chetan Chauhan was similarly scathing. “I am really surprised with the decision of the ICC and I am sure lot of people will be upset about it as Steve Smith’s gesture was absolutely clear,” Chauhan told AFP.

Former captain Sunil Gavaskar said that he “would love to see” India emulate Smith’s tactics and then see how the ICC responds. “If something similar is done by an Indian player, looking up to the dressing-room... he should not be pulled up at all,” Gavaskar told NDTV. “It can’t be that some countries get favourable treatment and some do not get favourable treatment.”

Meanwhile Australia’s assistant coach David Saker dismissed Kohli’s allegations as “offensive” and termed the whole episode as “absurd”. “When Steven Smith did look up (to the dressing room) we were more horrified than anyone else because we’d never seen that before,” Saker told Australian reporters in Bangalore.

“It’s probably the worst thing you can be called is cheats, that’s an offensive thing. We’ve never done anything like that and we never will,” he added.