Sourav Ganguly criticizes Australia for crossing limits in desperation to win

Steve Smith was banned for a Test and along with Cameron Bancroft copped fines for the ball tampering row.

Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly has lashed out at the Australian team for crossing boundaries to achieve success.

Australia cricket team has found themselves in trouble after getting caught tampering with the cricket ball during the third Test against South Africa at Cape Town. Australia, however, lost the Test and now are trailing in the series 2-1, with one more match to go.

Ganguly isn't pleased with Australia's "win at all cost" attitude and he called the ball tampering by Aussies as an act of stupidity.

"Steven Smith need not have to do it (ball tampering). I think what Smith did or David Warner did or Bancroft did was absolute stupidity," Ganguly said on 'India Today' channel.

The ball tampering scandal

Last year, during Australia's tour of India, Smith was caught peeking at the dressing room for guidance on Decision Review System (DRS) during Bangalore Test. 

"Actually, I think he (Smith) had a brain fade. I thought it was for the sake of just saying when he last said in India that he had a brain fade. But after this incident I thought he actually had a brain fade," added the former India skipper.

"This idea of win at all cost (of the Australians) is not right. There was this underarm delivery in a Test against New Zealand in 1981. That is the way Australia have been playing cricket," Ganguly said. "In the contest in 2008, there was only one side playing with the spirit of the game. I was batting at 60-odd and Ricky Ponting got me out one bounce. After I got out, the Test match was different," he further said.

Smith has been banned for one Test and fined 100% match fee by ICC. His teammate Cameron Bancroft, who tampered with the ball by using yellow sticky tape was fined 75 percent match fee and three demerit points.

 
 

By Sihyeu Singh - 27 Mar, 2018

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