JOHANNESBURG: South African batsman Hashim Amla said on Wednesday that the controversy over ball tampering in the third Test against Australia ‘gives every team in the world a reality check’.

Amla was responding to the bans imposed on Australia’s Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

He said that the events of Cape Town should lead cricketers to ask: “What kind of cricket do you want to play? It has probably given the ICC a lot more headaches and the opportunity now is for the governing bodies to show us, where is this line?” He was referring to frequent comments by Australian cricketers about the limits of acceptable behaviour and ‘not crossing the line’.

Amla said South Africa’s focus, ahead of Friday’s fourth and final Test, was on preparing to clinch a Test series which they lead 2-1.

“With all the distractions, there is not much we can do from our perspective,” he said. “I am grateful that we are sitting in the South African change room without the shadows hanging over us. For us it is about the cricket. You’ve got to keep your focus as professional sportsmen.”

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2018