The feisty opener is to answer an International Cricket Council (ICC) charge for a staircase scuffle with wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock after they traded barbs out in the middle and continued the conflict on the way to the changing rooms. “If you look in the past, we are not a team that flirts with that line when it comes to vocals”.
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He insists nothing personal was said by Warner, and that the umpires would have stepped in if something had been said.
Umpires, having put both captains on notice pre-match to ensure their players behave better compared to the acrimonious first Test in Durban, had a long and stern chat with Proteas captain Faf du Plessis after the incident.
Warner has been cleared to play after accepting a penalty of three demerit points and a $13,000 fine for his part in the fracas, while de Kock was given one demerit point and a smaller fine. But I thought he handled himself well in terms of all the stuff that was said to him as he walked off the field.
“I’ll keep playing with that energy and making sure I am the voice in the team to keep our guys motivated on the field, that’s for sure”.
“Rather than just accept it was a great bit of fielding, David Warner just attacked Markram thinking he’d get under his skin”.
Perhaps their middling total may prove enough but Australia’s creaky batting continues to plague the team and hold back their push to the next level.
All five days of Australia’s win in Durban were streamed free of charge as a trial offer but a subscription for the Tests in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Johannesburg will cost NZD$24.99.
“We talked about the key moments before the series and we didn’t identify the big key moment when Rabada was reversing the ball”, Lyon told reporters after the first day’s play. People will be sent off because cricket has to regain its manners, it’s now an ill-mannered game and unfortunately we are at the forefront of that.
“Cricket South Africa wishes to distance itself from the alleged action of certain officials in associating themselves with fans wearing masks representing the face of Sonny Bill Williams”, a statement read.
South Africa have never managed to beat Australia at home in a Test series and they will be looking to set that record right. “I was 50-50, we probably would have gone with bowling first”.
“We’ve seen so many different things of late”, he said.
“When you get a batsman out, he’s out”.
“That’s very cruel and very personal and I don’t think it should be allowed to happen”.
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South Africa dropped veteran fast bowler Morne Morkel and replaced him with Lungi Ngidi.
