Australia’s star batter Steve Smith has been denied entry into the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) 2021-22 finals. The decision to reject Smith’s application to play for Sydney Sixers in the qualifying final against Perth Scorchers was stamped by Cricket Australia (CA) after other states voted against his participation.
Earlier Smith was not a part of Sixers’ playing list in this season because he was expected to play the limited-overs series against New Zealand. However, after the indefinite postponement of New Zealand’s tour of Australia due to country’s Covid-19 guidelines, Smith became free to play in Australia’s domestic T20 league.
Smith’s participation in the league’s finals is not possible due to a technicality. Smith was not on the list of BBL’s local replacement pool (LRP). The 32-year-old participating in BBL finals would have breached the rules that were put in place two weeks ago. Had Smith been on the LRP list, he would be playing for Sixers against Scorchers.
"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," CA said in a statement on January 21.
"This request was denied... noting that other players returning to the BBL from international duty have been retained on club lists throughout the competition," the board further said.
Furious Henriques
As a result, Sixers’ skipper Moises Henriques is furious over the decision as Smith was keen to make an appearance.
"You have got a former Australian captain, one of the best players in the world," a disappointed Henriques told reporters on Friday.
Henriques believes that the board’s decision did not just cost the franchise but the league as well.
"You have got IPL teams who pay multi-million dollars just to have this guy as part of their franchise. Advertising, bums on seats, eyes on TVs – I mean, you do the maths,” he explained.
The 34-year-old is in disbelief that CA are denying him entry on the basis of a rule that is now two weeks old and doesn’t matter due to the cancellation of limited-overs series.
"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… I think it's sad for cricket, that's all," Henriques further added.
"He's one of the best cricketers in the world and this tournament has lacked those names throughout the season at times. And you've got someone who wants to play basically for free, just to play, and you're robbing him the opportunity of it. It's pretty disappointing," Henriques concluded.
