Australia v India: does Steve Smith dismissal show T20 internationals more carnival than contest?
STEVE Smith’s “foot in mouth’’ dismissal was one of those poignant moments that leaves us to reflect what a brand of cricket actually means.
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STEVE Smith’s “foot in mouth’’ dismissal was one of those poignant moments that leaves us to reflect what a brand of cricket actually means.
Is a T20 international a full blown, red hot, shoot-up-the-town international or is it part fun where the spectators best interests rate almost as highly as the result?
What matters more — the carnival or the contest?
The jury is very much still out on this one and we may not know the answer for years.
With a patchy, piecemeal international schedule, the T20 international game is still finding itself and is hard to take too seriously.
Australia played just one game of it last year.
The worry is not that Tuesday’s incident might have cost Smith his wicket. It’s that it might have players second guessing about whether they want to be miked up.
One of the reasons Twenty20 has taken off in Australia has been the extraordinary on-field access to players.
It has enlivened the game — and long may it continue.
The surprise with the Smith dismissal was not that it happened but there are not more moments like it because the players and the commentators are still finding their rhythm with this new innovation, which is understandable.
You just have to marvel at how some players like Kevin Pietersen can switch from an interview to the next ball in a heartbeat and without missing a beat.
Some players have tried it once then realised they can’t do it.
Others have found it has actually enhanced their concentration levels because they so determined not to be distracted.
As Virat Kolhi so colourfully pointed out, it look like Smith had been distracted.
Did it cost Australia the game? Possibly.
If it happened in a Test match I would be punching a hole in my keyboard protesting at the farce of it all.
But it was T20 international and like the rest of the world, I am still trying to work out what these games actually mean.
The one thing certain is that you should never go backwards with technology.
The sadder day for cricket would not be another Smith incident.
It would be if the on-field access stopped for good.
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