Warner and Smith Not Yet Welcomed by Cricket Community
England will play against Australia later this week at Lord’s for the first international match between the two cricket teams since the pair from Australia returned to the game after their suspension from cricket due to the ball-tampering scandal that occurred in March 2018.
Even though Morgan did not call on fans to show their disapproval for the Australian pair’s action, he did use the opportunity to discourage boos that have welcomed them on several cricket grounds. By contrast, Virat Kohli has gestured that spectators should stop applauding and jeering Smith during the World Cup match between India and Australia.
Morgan stated that fans pay a great deal of money to see the matches live and therefore, they are welcome to react and do as they see fit. No one can anticipate their reactions to individual players. Just because two players received punishment for their actions, served their time, and returned to the game, doesn’t mean that they will be accepted back immediately. Patience is needed as this will take a great deal of time.
The Smith and Warner Scandal
Smith and Warner were suspended for 12 months by Cricket Australia after the incident occurred during the Newlands Test in 2018. The two cricket players received several boos from the crowd in various sections when Australia played against England in the warm-up match for the World Cup in Southampton during May. Fortunately, Smith was not too bothered by this who managed to make a century in the game.
The crowd at Lord’s is a bit more polite, and booing rarely occurs at this cricket ground. However, the World Cup tends to appeal to a completely different crowd than usual matches that are played here. Stewards will be briefed on the situation to assist in differentiating between banter and abuse.
The Australian cricket captain, Aaron Finch, stated that it would not make any difference to his team and their overall performance. It might even provide an extra layer of motivation for his team to win. He stated that as a cricket player, you rarely hear what people have to say about you. You might listen to noises at certain times, but nothing specific. Whether the entire stadium boos or only a handful of players, it doesn’t matter when Smith or Warner step out to bat.
The comments made by Morgan follow a similar pattern as those made by Jonny Bairstow. Jonny experienced a few exciting events during the Ashes Tour when he made references to Darren Lehmann, the coach for the Australian team, calling on fans to give it to Stuart Broad the entire summer in hopes that he would cry and go home ahead of the 2013/14 Ashes Tour.