Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar had questioned English debutant Jofra Archer’s sportsmanship after his ferocious bouncer struck Australia batsman Steve Smith during the second Ashes Test which ended in a draw.
Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh came up with a cheeky response to Akhtar’s reaction.
“Yes you did! But your actual words were hope you’re alright mate because there are a few more coming,” Yuvraj wrote on Twitter.
Bouncers are a part & parcel of the game but whenever a bowler hits a batsman on the head and he falls, courtesy requires that the bowler must go & check on him. It was not nice of Archer to just walk away while Smith was in pain. I was always the first one to run to the batsman.
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) August 18, 2019
Earlier, Akhtar had written: “Bouncers are a part & parcel of the game but whenever a bowler hits a batsman on the head and he falls, courtesy requires that the bowler must go & check on him. It was not nice of Archer to just walk away while Smith was in pain. I was always the first one to run to the batsman.”
It was on the fourth day of the Lord’s Test that Smith--batting on 80 in the 77th over--was hit by a delivery from Archer in the unprotected part of the back of the neck. The medics ran into the middle from both sides, as the England players rushed to the former Aussie skipper immediately.
Yes you did ! But your actual words were hope your alright mate cause there are a few more coming 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤪
— yuvraj singh (@YUVSTRONG12) August 19, 2019
Smith was taken off the field and after Peter Siddle got out he came out to bat again and was ultimately trapped in front on 92.
The former Australian skipper could not take the field on the final day of the Test and was replaced by Marnus Labuschagne, who became the first concussion substitute in Test cricket. There are doubts over Smith’s availability for the Leeds Test beginning on Thursday.