Steve Smith has rubbished the talks of ball-tampering after a footage appeared of him rubbing on his lips before shining the ball. The video created quite an uproar on social media with few suggesting that the Australian skipper indulged in ball-tampering by applying the lip balm to the ball.
Smith, however, shot down the suggestion during the post-match press conference.
“It was all spit,” Smith told reporters. “If you look at my lips they are pretty dry. I certainly didn’t have any of that on”.
“It is just the way I get the spit into the side of my mouth and get some spit onto the ball. There was nothing in it.”
The Australian, who got out in a controversial manner against England in the 3rd ODI at Sydney asked for changes in the process of on-field umpires’ soft signal. In the 34th over with Australia on 181/3, Smith edged one to Buttler, who took a low catch to his right. The batsman wasn’t sure about the catch and stood his ground forcing umpire Chris Gaffaney to call for the video review, but he indicated, with a soft signal, that his decision was out.
The replays were inconclusive and the 28-year-old was given out by video umpire Kumar Dharmasena. If the soft signal was not out, Smith would have survived. The cricketer wants the decision to be taken out of the hands of the on-field umpires and third umpire to have the say.
“I’m not sure I’m a big fan. It’s hard to overturn anything. The fielder goes up and sort of celebrates and they’re usually given out. I’d like for the third umpire to have to make the decision whether it’s out or not,” said Smith.
England beat Australia by 16 runs in the third ODI to clinch the five-match ODI series. It was their first win in a multiple ODI series against the Aussies in Australia.