Cricket Australia slammed for rejecting Steve Smith's bid to play BBL finals

Cricket Australia has rejected Sydney Sixers' bid to allow Australia star batter Steve Smith to play the finals in the Big Bash League (BBL).

Smith wasn't on the Sydney Sixers players list for the eleventh edition of the BBL due to Australian commitments. However, the cancellation of Australia's white-ball series against New Zealand has made Smith available to play for the Sixers.

Cricket Australia said that permitting Smith to play in the qualifiers would've broken the rules concerning replacement players for squads affected by COVID-related withdrawals.

Two weeks ago, CA introduced a local replacement player pool (LRP) from which all franchises must pick any fill-in. If Smith was placed in that pool, he would be able to play for the Sixers.

"In creating the central LRP pool, it was agreed that clubs would not be able to contract LRPs from outside the pool for the remainder of the season," CA said, according to cricket.com.au. "This request was denied ... noting that other players returning to the BBL from international duty have been retained on club lists throughout the competition."

Sixers' skipper Moises Henriques was furious over the decision and labeled it "really disappointing" and "sad for cricket".

"We're saying no because of a rule that is two weeks old in some COVID bubble hub. To me, I don't get it.

"We're in the top two without him ... so I have got absolute belief in our domestic talent and local talent to do the job.

"I think it's sad for cricket, that's all," Henriques said.

Ex-England skipper Michael Vaughan termed it "bizarre" and questioned Cricket Australia for rejecting Smith's application.

Ed Cowan lashed out at Cricket Australia and said that the rejection makes zero sense.

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