Steve Smith seems “actually, actually indignant” and Cricket Australia ought to step in to ensure that he is OK, in line with former ODI star Shane Lee.
Smith was fired up when he celebrated a drought-breaking century within the third Take a look at towards India and was later seen scratching on the crease whereas fielding; resulting in a claim of cheating that left the champion batsman “shocked and disappointed”.
Lee mentioned that he was struck by Smith’s 100 celebration on the SCG.
“I am actually actually involved about a few of our behaviour. Steve Smith scored a incredible hundred in Sydney and the way in which he reacted afterwards, I believed, there’s an actual anger there,” Lee mentioned on his Afternoon Sport podcast. “It is disturbing.”
Lee likened the simmering emotion to that seen within the Australian staff earlier than the ball-tampering scandal in Cape City throughout 2018 – the incident that ended Smith’s captaincy reign.
“You wind ahead to this Take a look at: I am seeing the identical indicators [as before Sandpapergate]. I am seeing somebody like Smith who’s getting actually, actually indignant,” Lee mentioned.
“I am feeling actually fearful about this man.
“I actually need Cricket Australia, or somebody inside that organisation to verify this man’s all proper. As a result of he is a champion batsman and he isn’t a cheat.
“We actually must take care of these guys from a psychological well being perspective.”
Lee mentioned that the SCG pitch incident, which was seen by critics as Smith scratching out the guard of Indian batsman Rishabh Pant, had been misconstrued. Smith mentioned that he was merely making an attempt to visualise how Pant was batting on the day 5 pitch.
“He wasn’t making an attempt to cheat however he should not be on the wicket,” Lee mentioned.
Australian Take a look at captain Tim Paine renewed his defence of Smith in a newspaper column on Thursday, calling reactions from former gamers Virender Sehwag, Darren Gough, Michael Vaughan and David Lloyd “excessive”. It was Gough who levelled an accusation of “plain dishonest”.
“Poor Smithy, he was horrified when he noticed how that had been obtained,” Paine wrote for Information Corp.
“We’re continuously amused by his mannerisms and obsessions, others would possibly discover them annoying, however I can guarantee you that is one thing he does on a regular basis, it is innocent, it doesn’t change something for the batsmen and perhaps his critics must get a little bit of a grip.”
Paine himself felt compelled to apologise for his behaviour within the third Take a look at after participating in a nasty working battle with India’s Ravi Ashwin on the ultimate day.
Australian coach Justin Langer launched a robust defence of each Paine and Smith on Wednesday, calling the accusations towards Smith “ludicrous” and “garbage”, and revealing that he’d phoned each England greats Gough and Vaughan to have it out.
Smith was booed all through the 2019 Ashes collection in England, although has been warmly obtained again dwelling in Australia.
