GROS ISLET – Barbados captain Dwayne Smith has apologized to Trinidad and Tobago all-rounder Dwayne Bravo for running him out after he backed-up to far at the non-strikers’ end in their Caribbean T20 match Wednesday night.
The Barbados captain has described the incident as an “offsetting moment” and said he apologized personally to Bravo, who scored only three before starting his march back to the pavilion.
The dismissal has been a subject of heated discussion and although it is within the bowler’s rights, it is rare at any level of cricket and widely seen as unsporting.
“I think it was something bad to do and especially to Dwayne Bravo who I know for so long,” Smith said, in an interview with Line and Length Network.
“To me, it’s an offsetting moment and I think I would have to say that I am very sorry to him. I have spoken to him already.”
The incident happened as the defending champions were cruising to a five-wicket win over Barbados, leaving the losers with only a slim chance of reaching the playoffs.
Some team members did not shake hands after the match as a result of the incident but they were reported to have said that the matter was now behind them.
And, Bravo said he has accepted Smith’s apology.
“Even though it’s the rule, all of us don’t really play the game that way. The heat of the moment got the better of him. He already messaged me,” Bravo said.
“He waited for me until I got off the bus and approached then also apologized to me. He did it publicly also, so most definitely his apology is accepted and I hope that he doesn’t allow that to get him down.”
Last summer, a similar incident occurred in English county cricket sparking anger in some quarters.
Surrey was booed from the field and called “a disgrace to cricket” by angry spectators after their India spinner Murali Kartik ran out Somerset batsman Alex Barrow for backing up too far. (CMC)
