Wasim Jaffer and Michael Vaughan’s banter is unrelenting. The former India opener took it up a notch this week after England’s humbling loss to South Africa in the first of a three-ODI series on Tuesday.
As the Three Lions slipped to number eight in the ICC men’s ODI rankings for teams, Jaffer asked Vaughan if it was against ‘the spirit’ of the game and whether the international body ‘should look into this’. It was aimed at England’s regular championing of the ‘spirit’, which is an unsaid rule of the game.
“England at No. 8… surely against the spirit of cricket. ICC should look into this. @MichaelVaughan,” Jaffer commented on X.
England have been involved in several of these spirit-of-cricket controversies in the past. When Deepti Sharma ran out England’s Charlie Dean in 2022, all hell broke loose in the English media.
The same has happened several times in the men’s game as well, with not just India but other opponents. Fans outside of England believe that the team — whose ancestors actually wrote this ‘spirit’ in the MCC rulebook — uses this conveniently when it suits their game.
How England lost to South Africa
It was one of the biggest defeats in recent time for England, and the worst one for the new skipper Harry Brook.
South Africa cruised and all but cemented the foundation for the win by bowling the hosts out for just 131 in 24.3 overs at Headingley. Keshav Maharaj (4-22) and Wiaan Mulder (3-33) exploited overcast conditions after Temba Bavuma opted to bowl first.
England’s batting collapsed from 82-2, losing eight wickets for 49, with only Jamie Smith (54) offering resistance.
Aiden Markram then powered South Africa’s chase with a blistering 23-ball fifty, eventually scoring 86 off 61 balls. England debutant Sonny Baker endured a nightmare, conceding 76 runs and falling for a golden duck.
Despite Adil Rashid’s (3-26) late strikes, Dewald Brevis sealed victory with a six as South Africa won by seven wickets, going 1-0 up in the three-match ODI series.
(With agency inputs)
