Australia cricket legend Ian Chappell has criticised Cricket Australia’s decision to appoint Steve Smith as the vice-captain of the Test team ahead of the five-match Ashes series.
“If I’d have cheated as an Australian captain, they (CA) would have taken the job away from me and made sure I didn’t continue to play as a player.”
Chappell’s comments have put the spotlight back on the ball-tampering episode that took place during the third Test against South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town in 2018.
In addition to a one-year suspension, Smith also received a two-year ban on captaincy while Warner who was vice-captain of the side during the sandpaper gate saw a lifetime ban on leadership.
“I wish that Cricket Australia had made a clean break, but for Cricket Australia to get anything right at the moment is asking a bit much,” Chappell said on 2GB’s Wide World of Sports radio on Saturday.
“For starters, I have a problem — why is Steve Smith looked upon as a different punishment to David Warner? In fact, if anything, I think Steve Smith’s crime was greater. For a captain to say, ‘I don’t want to know’ when cheating is involved, is not correct. A captain’s got to know, he’s got to find out and he’s got to do something about it. Either Steve Smith has a two-year ban from captaincy and so does David Warner, or Steve Smith has a life ban and so does Dave Warner. Same thing,” said Chappell.
