BCCI files complaint against Steve Smith, Peter Handscomb over DRS row
Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has lodged an official complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) against Australia skipper Steve Smith and top order batsman Peter Handscomb on the Decision Review System (DRS) controversy.
BCCI has reportedly emailed a number of documents, along with a video footage of the incident to ICC.
"Yes, the BCCI today officially lodged a complaint with the ICC against Smith and Handscomb. They have submitted the video footage of the incident where Handscomb is insisting Smith to go up for a review and umpire Nigel Llong is seen intervening," a top source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
"BCCI is well within their rights to lay official charge as a Level 2 charge needs to be pressed within 48 hours of the completion of the match," the source added.
When a BCCI source was asked whether ICC will look into the matter, he said: "The rule states that CEO of member board needs to lay the charges within 48 hours in case of Level 2.
"That's exactly what has been done. Also one should know that Peter Handscomb, on his official twitter handle, has admitted to his guilt. Also why didn't the ICC wait for 48 hours to end?"
The DRS controversy gained momentum on day four of the Bengaluru Test between India and Australia, when Smith was adjudged lbw to an Umesh Yadav delivery that kept low.
Confused as to whether to ask for the umpire’s decision to be reviewed, both Smith and Handscomb seemingly looked up towards the Australian dressing room; taking help from the dressing room for reviewing umpire decisions is illegal.
India captain Virat Kohli and batsman Cheteshwar Pujara spotted the duo looking up at the pavilion, and immediately notified the umpires, who rushed in to intervene.
Smith accepted his mistake after the match, and wrote off the incident as a “brain fade”.
"I got hit on the pad and looked down to Petey (Peter Handscomb) and he said look up there, so I turned around and it was a bit of a brain fade on my behalf. I shouldn't have done that," said Smith.
However, Kohli took a much firmer stance in the post match press conference, going on to allege that he had spotted the Australians taking dressing room help with DRS referrals twice in the Bengaluru Test.
“I saw that two times happening when I was batting out there. I pointed it out to the umpire as well and it has happened twice I have seen their players looking upstairs for confirmation and that’s why the umpire was at him,” said Kohli.
“When he (Smith) turned back, the umpires knew exactly what was going on, because we observed that, told match referee also and the umpires that they have been doing that for the last three days and this has to stop.”
While both Cricket Australia and BCCI backed their own players on this issue, ICC chose to remain neutral, and did not take any steps against either of the sides.
“The ICC has considered both incidents in the context of this match and concluded it will be taking no further action against either player,” ICC had said in a statement.
