CAPE TOWN: South Africa Test captain Graeme Smith has strongly denied recent suggestions that he or his team deliberately provoked England batsman Kevin Pietersen into sending “provocative” text messages to the Proteas players during the recent test series between the sides.
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive David Collier said in a radio interview on Sunday that there had been a “deliberate policy” to entrap Pietersen.
“In the Proteas we pride ourselves on being a sporting and ethical team,” Smith said in a statement released by the SA Cricketers’ Association yesterday.
“We talk a lot about values and our approach to the game. We play hard but we play fair and any suggestions that we did this as a tactic is totally unwarranted and unnecessary.”
SACA chief executive Tony Irish confirmed that both he and the national players are expecting an apology from Collier for his comments.
“Our players are angered by David Collier’s claims that they employed unfair and unsporting tactics against Kevin,” said Irish.
Meanwhile, Pakistan cricket chiefs yesterday ordered veteran all-rounder Abdul Razzaq to explain himself after he publicly criticised skipper Mohammed Hafeez for dropping him for the World Twenty20 semi-final.
The 32-year-old was replaced by fast bowler Sohail Tanveer for Pakistan’s semi-final defeat against Sri Lanka last week, a decision which Hafeez said was unanimous.
But when the team returned to Pakistan on Saturday, Razzaq blasted the captain for acting alone.
“I was disappointed sitting outside while the team was losing the match,” Razzaq said.
Agencies
