‘BLAME THE ASHES’

DISGRACED former Aussie skipper Steve Smith has used the Ashes as his excuse for green-lighting the use of sandpaper during a Test match.

Smith (right) says the pressure led to him making ‘horrible decisions’ including the cheating that led to his year-long ban. He is unavailable to play for Australia or in any elite domestic cricket, but is free to play in T20 leagues which is why he was speaking in Canada after his first game back, scoring 61 for the Toronto Nationals. “I put so much work into the Ashes, and I was making horrible decisions,” said Smith. “It all comes down to the mental part of the game and it took so much out of me.”