By Malcolm Conn
Sydney Sixers captain Moises Henriques says it is “sad” Steve Smith has been refused permission to play in the COVID-affected Big Bash.
“I think it’s sad for cricket,” Henriques said before the second-placed Sixers’ qualifying final against top side Perth Scorchers on Saturday night.
When Cricket Australia was forced to cancel the white-ball series against New Zealand on Wednesday, former Sixers captain Smith, an 11-year player, flew to Melbourne to hook up with the club.
However, because he was not on the club’s list of players, the five states outside NSW invoked a new rule which forces all players to be allocated randomly out of a COVID-free pool of club cricketers based in Melbourne.
“You have got IPL teams who pay multimillion dollars just to have this guy as part of their franchise. Advertising, bums on seats, eyes on TVs – I mean, you do the maths,” Henriques said.
“And we’re saying no because of a rule that is two weeks old in some COVID bubble hub. To me, I don’t get it.
Steve Smith is a former Sixers captain.Credit: Getty
“We’re in the top two without him, so I have got absolute belief in our domestic talent and local talent to do the job. I think it’s sad for cricket, that’s all.”
Cricket NSW chief Lee Germon said it would be like the NBA preventing LeBron James or the NFL stopping Tom Brady from playing because of a technicality.
“We haven’t replaced [Englishman] James Vince, there’s a spot on the list. We didn’t know that the one-day series would be cancelled against New Zealand,” Germon said. “For the previous 10 years, up to two and a half weeks ago, this would have been allowed.
“What we’ve asked for is to go back to the normal operating practice which was in place for the last 10 and a half years of the BBL.”
Cricket Australia said in a statement that the BBL and all clubs recently agreed to alter the league regulations and introduce a central Local Replacement Player (LRP) pool.
“In creating the central LRP pool, it was agreed that clubs would not be able to contract LRPs from outside the pool for the remainder of the season,” the statement said.
“The league acknowledges a request by the Sydney Sixers to sign Steven Smith as an LRP from outside the LRP pool.
“This request was denied on the basis that a further adjustment to the league regulations was unanimously rejected by other state associations/clubs in the interest of fairness, noting that other players returning to the BBL from international duty have been retained on club lists throughout the competition.”
Henriques has also opened up about his on-fielding sledging of the Thunder’s Mohammad Hasnain for his bowling action when the two Sydney clubs clashed recently.
Mohammad Hasnain and Moises Henriques square off. Credit: Fox Cricket/Getty
The 21-year-old quick, who has played 26 matches for Pakistan, returned home after CA announced this week the youngster had been reported for a suspected illegal bowling action during a match against the Adelaide Strikers on January 2.
Stump microphones picked up Henriques saying “nice throw mate” while he was batting, prompting Channel Seven commentator Brad Hodge to claim that action should have been taken against the Sixers captain.
“I reckon that’s wrong from Moises Henriques,” the former Australia Test player said. “That’s against the spirit of cricket. He should be punished for that.”
Henriques claimed there were questions about Hasnain’s bowling action throughout the BBL
“We knew he’d already been reported and the umpires were a little bit hamstrung in terms of what they can actually do on the cricket field because they’re so worried about backlash and public opinion,” he said.
“It was hard for me as a batter and opposition captain when someone is running in trying to take your head off, I could definitely argue what he is doing is not in the spirit of the game.
“I got a little bit emotional and frustrated and was a bit overt with my comments out in the middle. But I call a spade a spade and that was my opinion.
“From afar, he seems like a good kid and he seems like someone that hopefully gets that action right and passes the test. Hopefully, he can have a long career in front of him.”
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