Du Plessis surprised by ICC’s reaction to spat
FAF du Plessis is confused by the International Cricket Council’s lack of action over the behaviour of Virat Kohli and Steve Smith in the Bangalore test last week.
Kohli’s escalating aggression during the match reached tipping point after Smith tried to seek visual advice from the Australian dressing-room on whether he should opt for a review after being given out legbefore.
Kohli rushed towards the umpires‚ Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth‚ screaming his objection to Smith’s transgression of the regulations with almost comical menace.
By then‚ Llong had admonished Smith‚ who was leaving the ground.
Later‚ Kohli stopped just short of accusing Smith‚ who admitted his wrongdoing‚ of cheating.
The ICC tends to take a dim view of displays of poor conduct‚ but not this time.
“We have just witnessed a magnificent game of test cricket where players from both teams gave their all and emotions were running high during and after the match‚” chief executive David Richardson said.
“We would encourage both teams to focus their energies on the third test in Ranchi.
“Ahead of that‚ the match referee will bring both captains together to remind them of their responsibilities to the game.”
Did that surprise Du Plessis‚ considering Richardson took it upon himself to charge South Africa’s captain with ball-tampering during the tour to Australia in November?
“I was [surprised]‚ purely from the reason of what I went through for something I feel was a lot smaller,” Du Plessis said after the last day of the first test against New Zealand at University Oval was washed out yesterday.
Richardson took action after footage emerged of Du Plessis shining the ball using fingers he had wet with spit from his mouth‚ in which what looked like a sweet was visible.
Du Plessis was found guilty of contravening the prohibition on using artificial substances to polish the ball‚ fined half his match fee and docked three demerit points.
He lost an appeal against the conviction‚ and will be banned if he earns one more demerit point in the next two years.
Du Plessis saw inconsistencies in the way the ICC dealt with him compared with Kohli and Smith.
“It was different‚ and I’m surprised by the way it happened‚” Du Plessis said.
“Maybe it’s just because I felt I was treated very harshly. When you see something like that you hope it would be exactly the same.”
But he was confident the monster that “Mintgate” became – largely because of Du Plessis’s refusal to accept his guilt and the fuel that represented to the tabloid sections of the television and print media – would not be repeated in New Zealand.
“New Zealand and SA are very similar in the way we play‚” Du Plessis said.
“We respect each other on and off the field and we play a similar brand of cricket.
“We don’t see that the way you carry on on the field will have an effect on the outcome.
“When you play teams like India and Australia that can happen. It’s easy to see how that can blow up.
“For me, it’s been good to be on the other side of it and to see how things unfold.”