The allegations levied against Steve Smith is a load of rubbish, says Langer
Australian head coach Justin Langer has quashed all the rumours surrounding Steve Smith’s questionable tactics during the 3rd Test in Sydney where he was accused of scuffing up Rishabh Pant’s guard with his boots where Pant was taking his guard. During the final day of the 3rd Test, the stump camera caught Smith shadow practising at the crease where Pant was to take strike and whether he did it intentionally or in his motion, only Smith knows.
However, Justin Langer is not happy with all the allegations levied against Smith following the incident and supported him by saying that it was ‘ludicrous and a load of rubbish.’ He further added that Smith does some unusual things on the field but he won’t do anything to tarnish the image of the game.
"I literally cannot believe some of the rubbish I read about Steve Smith. Absolute load of rubbish. I mean, if anyone knows Steve Smith, he is a bit quirky and he does some weird (stuff) and we have laughed about it for the last couple of years," Langer said during a virtual press conference with Sony Six Network.
I have spoken about it publicly, privately about how he is a bit quirky. What Steve Smith does at the crease, he does it probably most games, he is just thinking about the game."
Smith was banned from all forms of cricket for a year following his involvement in the “sandpaper-gate” during Australia’s tour of South Africa in 2018. Along with teammates David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, the duo forged a plan of applying sandpaper on the ball to get some purchase from the ball as Australia were on the backfoot during that particular encounter.
After serving a 12-month ban, Smith has looked a completely changed player, especially with his behaviour. Meanwhile, he clearly stated that it was spontaneous and he had no intentions of removing Pant’s guard and was marking his own guard. Langer further said that the allegations were atrocious, to say the least.
"Anyone who suggests for one millisecond, he was trying to do something untoward, way out of line. On that wicket, it was that flat, it was like concrete, you need 15 inches spikes to make an indent on the crease and he went nowhere near the crease. Seriously, I thought that was absolutely ludicrous," Langer added.
"In the last couple of years since he (Smith) has been back, he has been exemplary on and off the field, he has let his bat do the talking. He was abused like I have never seen anything through England and he just kept smiling and doing his bat do the talking. Give me a break," Langer concluded.
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