Vernon Philander: “Steve Smith gave KG the shoulder. He could have avoided any contact but to me he is just as guilty”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Vernon Philander has lashed out at Australia captain Steve Smith, saying he was “just as guilty” as South Africa pace bowler Kagiso Rabada when they came into contact with each other during the second Test in Port Elizabeth.

Rabada, who has lodged an appeal after being banned for the remainder of the ongoing Test series against Australia, made shoulder-to-shoulder contact with Smith after dismissing him in the first innings.

“Haven’t really seen the footage of this incident but by the looks of this…Steve Smith gave KG the shoulder. He could have avoided any contact but to me he is just as guilty. Trying some football skills to get a penalty??? Pity he didn’t dive to top it off,” Philander said in a tweet that has now been deleted.

Meanwhile, former South Africa seamer Shaun Pollock pointed out that Rabada has to pay the price for not being able to keep his emotions in check.

“It’s the accumulation of points, it’s not an isolated event,” Pollock told Wide World of Sports as quoted by cricket.com.au. “If it was a two-match suspension for an isolated event you would argue it wasn’t warranted, but when you look back and see he’s got points that have been accumulated then you can understand.”