Ian Chappell reckons Steve Smith and Darren Lehmann are equally responsible for the Warner-de Kock fiasco

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell reacted vehemently to the much-hyped altercation between David Warner and Quinton de Kock. The legendary cricketer reckoned a suspension would be appropriate because it is important to drive such banters away from the game. He also slammed the captain and the coach, who according to Chappell, are giving Warner the freedom to do such things.

His reaction was mostly directed towards the Australian captain Steve Smith and coach Darren Lehmann. He believes Warner is the attack dog in this entire scenario, with instructions being initiated by the hierarchy in the dressing room. He also noted that if Smith is not stepping up and taking the responsibility, he deserves equal punishment.

“A suspension would be appropriate because you need to stamp it out from the top down,” Chappell told Wide World of Sports. “But Warner gets the suspension, and while he’s responsible for his own actions and words, he’s being allowed to do it by people above him. I’d like to see those above him suspended for sanctioning it. If you start taking strong action like that then you’ll get some sanity.”

“It’s always the same – the players pay the penalty for the stupidity of those above. Warner is being encouraged to be the attack dog. The laws of the game state the captain is responsible for the on-field actions of his players, so if Steve Smith is not stepping in he’s just as culpable,” he added.

Gamesmanship still an important part of cricket

The 74-year-old also stated that gamesmanship stands above everything. He reminisced his playing times to compare with the current situations. Chappell didn’t shy away from the fact that there were some heated conversations between players in the 60s and 70s, but he added that nothing went personal and never demeaned sportsmanship.

He also reckoned that if all this abusive and inane chattering is being used as a tool to unsettle the batsmen, the skipper does not have enough faith in his bowlers. He also suggested that the officials must step up in such kind of situations and send a clear-cut message that such actions or behavior will not be encouraged by any stretch of imagination.

“I don’t want it to sound like nothing was said on the field when I played because things were said. But it wasn’t premeditated. It wasn’t discussed in team meetings beforehand. Sometimes in the heat of the moment, things were said,” the Aussie further stated.

“I wouldn’t be trying to stop the odd comment in a heated moment, because that happens. I wouldn’t be trying to stop gamesmanship, because that’s an important part of the game of cricket, and it’s responsible for a lot of the humour in the game. But the inane chatter, abuse and comments trying to unsettle players, you don’t need it. Are you saying you don’t have enough faith in your bowlers to take 20 wickets?” Chappell questioned.

In a statement released by ICC, they mentioned that Warner has been charged with a Level-2 offence and de Kock for a Level-1offencee. “The umpires officiating in the Durban test have reported Warner for a level 2 offence and De Kock for a level 1 offence for ‘conduct that brings the game into disrepute’,” the ICC said on their official website.