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ICC's 'Karma' tweet is an attempt to hit back at England fans for trolling Steve Smith
YB WEB DESK. Dated: 9/9/2019 4:39:56 PM
England fans were trolling Steve Smith at the start of the Ashes series but not many would have the courage to boo the former Australia captain now that England have lost the chance to regain the Urn following their 185-run defeat in the fourth Test in Manchester on Sunday.
Smith, who returned to the team in this match after missing the 2nd Test due to concussion, once again led the way with the bat for Australia, scoring 211 and 82 to take the game completely away from England. Such has been Smith's form in this series that 82 was his lowest score in the three Tests that he has played till now.
Despite not playing the third Test, Smith has still managed to amass a total of 671 runs in the series at a staggering average of 134.20 which includes three hundreds, a double century and two fifties.
He has been the batsman that English bowlers have just not been able to dismiss despite the home-team fans trying their best to rattle Smith by booing and jeering him whenever he has taken the field in the three matches.
The first Test at Edgbaston even saw some fans wearing masks with Steve Smith's crying face on it. But it took just over a month for Smith to shut up his critics as he marked his return from the one-year ball-tampering ban by returning to the top spot in the ICC Test ranking for batsmen, dethroning India captain Virat Kohli from the position.
Even the International Cricket Council couldn't resist trolling the English fans for their hostile behaviour, particularly towards Smith.
The ICC tweeted a picture of a fan wearing the Steve Smith crying mask on his head and captioned it with the definition of Karma.
But there are still some in the cricketing fraternity who think Smith can never be forgiven for what he did last year in the Cape Town Test.
Former England pacer Steve Harmison believes no matter what Smith does, his incredible feats will always be dwarfed by his role in the infamous Sandpaper scandal.
"I don't think you can forgive him," Steve Harmison told talkSPORT. "When you're known as a cheat - and he is, I'm not going to sugar-coat it - that's on your CV. You're marked and you take it to the grave. Whatever Steve Smith does, he'll always be remembered for what happened in South Africa.
"That's something he's got to live with. I can't see anyone's opinion changing on Smith, Bancroft, or Warner - because they've tarnished the game," Harmison added.