Former Australia captain Steve Smith, who returned to international cricket after a year-ban following the ball-tampering incident, muzzled the hooting England fans with the prowess of his bat.
But the heydays for Smith couldn’t last long as the England fans are at war again with the 30-year-old after pictures emerged of a bespectacled Steve Smith celebrating the fourth Test win at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester.
The England fans lashed out at the right-hander and accused him of mocking the glasses-wearing Jack Leach, who helped England win the third Test at Headingley.
Notably, Leach, who came out to bat at No 11 in the 3rd Test, rose to fame with his famous one-run contribution in the crucial 76-run partnership with Ben Stokes for the 10th wicket that helped England remain alive in the Ashes series.
As reported by The Sun, after their 185-run over England in the 4th Ashes Test, the Australian team returned to the pitch with beers where Smith donned a pair of glasses and also shadow batted left-handed in the “middle of a team huddle”.
Once the pictures went viral on social media, Smith was once again at the receiving end of ruthless slamming from England fans.
See the tweets:
— David Coverdale (@dpcoverdale) September 8, 2019
Jack Leach mimicked his 1* when England won a classic.
Steve Smith, a cheat, celebrated by openly mocking a fellow professional.
Some people are just classier than others. https://t.co/rFuy1JYfTH
— Tom Albrighton (@tmalbrghtn) September 8, 2019
Stay classy eh @stevesmith49 ? As far as I know, Jack Leach has never cheated to win a test match, you have,
So celebrate all you like, take the Piss as much as you like, but you can’t buy class, and you’ll never ever have class https://t.co/F36Oq2Hhyt— Not Jim White (@NotJimWhite1) September 8, 2019