Image Source : GETTY IMAGES File photograph of Justin Langer (left) with Steve Smith.
Australia coach Justin Langer has termed allegations in opposition to Steve Smith for wiping out Rishabh Pant’s guard marks as ‘absolute load of garbage’.
Smith was caught on stump digicam making an attempt to take away Pant’s guard in the course of the fifth day of the third Test as Australia tried exhausting to do away with the left-handed wicketkeeper-batsman who went on the counter-attack.
The Pant-led Indian resistance compelled the Aussies into some determined acts together with Smith eradicating guard and skipper Tim Paine indulging in on-field chatter with R Ashwin. However, Langer backed each Smith and Paine.
“I literally cannot believe some of the rubbish I read about Steve smith. Absolute load of rubbish. If anyone knows Steve Smith — he is a bit quirky, he does some weird stuff. We have all laughed about it for the last couple of years. I have spoken about it publicly and I have spoken about it privately that he is a bit quirky. What Smith does at the crease, he does at most games,” stated Langer whereas talking to the media throughout a digital interplay on Wednesday morning.
“Anyone who suggests for one millisecond he was doing anything untoward, they are way out of line. Absolutely out of line. That wicket was so flat… it was like concrete. You need 15 inch spikes to make an indent on the crease,” he added.
Langer added that Smith has ensured that his bat does the speaking ever since he has returned from the ball-tampering scandal.
“Seriously, I thought that was absolutely ludicrous. In the last couple of years since he’s been back, he’s been exemplary on and off the field. He has let his bat do the talking, he was abused like anything in England, but he kept smiling and let his bat do the talking. Give me a break.”
The former Australia opener, who took over from Darren Lehmann as coach after the ball-tampering scandal and has initiated a picture makeover together with captain Tim Paine, backed the staff skipper after the wicketkeeper-batsman’s on-field chatter with R Ashwin was caught on stump mic and have become a topic of controversy in mainstream media in addition to social media.
“You have no idea how much faith I have got in Tim Paine. He didn’t have his best day, no doubt about that. After three years he has hardly put a hair out of place. He has been outstanding as the Australian captain in everything he does. He had a frustrating day, we’ve got to cut him some slack surely. But having said that, when you set a standard as high as he does and as we do, we understand that we get criticised when we fall below that. But Tim Paine is an outstanding leader and will continue to be for some time to come. So he has my 100 per cent support,” stated Langer.