The Australian Cricketers' Association "will seek clarification from TV networks over what constitutes acceptable player engagement during matches after the furore created by Steve Smith's dismissal on Wednesday night," according to Andrew Wu of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD.
Channel Nine "came under fire on social media with many accusing the network of being responsible for the star batsman losing his wicket in the first Twenty20 international." Smith "had been doing a live interview with Channel Nine commentators Mark Nicholas, Ian Healy and Michael Hussey in the over of his dismissal." The controversy "comes days after a boundary-bound shot by Kohli struck Channel Nine's Spidercam, an aerial camera, and was ruled a dead ball, costing India four runs." Indian captain M.S. Dhoni later said that networks "should be fined" A$2,000 ($1,400) every time this occurred.
While the ACA has no qualms with the circumstances leading to Smith's departure, the players' union said that "it would seek feedback from players and speak to networks over the appropriate times they are spoken to."
ACA CEO Alistair Nicholson said, "We think players have been really accommodating. Being miked up, there is the right time and place to do that but there's a greater level of feedback we need to seek from players over when that engagement is going to be acceptable" (SMH, 1/27).
