Crowe: Animosity at its worst
New Zealand match referee Jeff Crowe has told the International Cricket Council the test series between South Africa and Australia was the most fractious he’d seen.
Writing an ICC document seen by the BBC, former New Zealand captain Crowe said he had ‘‘never seen such animosity between two teams’’.
His remarks were made as he detailed the successful appeal of South African bowler Kagiso Rabada against a two-match ban.
Rabada bumped into Australia captain Steve Smith after celebrating his dismissal in the second test. Smith characterised it as a barge, the South Africans as a brushing of shoulders.
‘‘Never in my 14 years of refereeing have I seen such animosity between two teams that was mainly a result of the debacle in the previous test in Durban,’’ Crowe said. ‘‘This I have no doubt is a contributing factor to the events that occurred under this COC [code of conduct] charge.’’
Australia won the bitter opening test, in which their vicecaptain David Warner and South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, clashed and were fined.
Warner remonstrated with the Protea in a stairwell, saying he was on the end of a ‘‘vile’’ comment about his wife Candice Falzon which left him no option but to stick up for his family.
Video of Warner showed him earlier calling de Kock a ‘‘f...ing sook’’ as the pair left the field.
South Africa won the fourmatch series 3-1. After South Africa won the third test, Smith, Warner and opener Cameron Bancroft, were banned for balltampering amd left the series.