< >

Smith says he needs to set a better example after being fined for dissent

by Andrew Wood Wednesday 24 February 2016

Steven Smith (right) was having a heated discussion with the on-field umpire Ranmore Martinez.

©REUTERS / Action Images

Australian captain Steven Smith stated that he will be looking to set a better example for his team after being fined 30 percent of his match fees for showing dissent against the decision of the third umpire in the second Test against New Zealand.

The incident happened just prior to the lunch break on day four where Australia unsuccessfully reviewed an lbw appeal against Kane Williamson.

The third umpire spotted a mark on the Hot Spot and upheld the on-field call without using the Real Time Snickometer replays much to the surprise of the Australian team.

The Australian players were not convinced that the mark on the Hot Spot was the ball hitting the bat and Smith walked up to the on-field umpire to ask a few questions.

Josh Hazlewood was also quite frustrated at the decision not going his way and was caught using expletives on the stump microphone for which he was fined 15 percent of his match fee.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed in a media release that Smith was fined 30 percent of his match fee for showing dissent against the decision of the umpires.

“Australia captain Steve Smith has been fined 30 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the second Test against New Zealand in Christchurch on Tuesday,” said the ICC release.

“On Tuesday, after TV umpire Richard Illingworth had turned down a referral against Kane Williamson, Smith had shown his obvious disappointment at the outcome by questioning on-field umpire Martinez about his decision and that of the TV umpire.

“Following the conclusion of the match on Wednesday, Smith admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Chris Broad of the Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees. As such, there was no need for a formal hearing.”

However, Smith reasoned that he felt he was within his rights to ask the umpire as to why the Real Time Snickometer replays were not used in the review.

Nevertheless, Smith accepted the fine and admitted that he needs to set a better example being the captain of the team.

“I thought I was well within my rights to go up to the umpire and ask him why we didn’t use the Real Time Snicko,” Smith told reporters after play.

“I guess out on the field we couldn’t really see a Hot Spot and I’ve been informed since then, at the (lunch) break just after the incident, that if there is a Hot Spot they don’t go to Real Time Snicko.

“So that was basically what I was doing at the time and that’s deemed to be dissent and I’ll cop that on the chin.

“I need to be better as a leader; I need to set the example, and that wasn’t good enough, I guess.”

After winning the series against New Zealand 2-0, Australia have regained the ICC Test Mace and have won the $1 million cash award for having finished as the number one ranked side before the April 1st cutoff date.