Steve Smith was warned by the umpires after becoming involved in another verbal exchange with Bangladesh players during Australia’s innings on day one. The incident took place in the ninth over after Taskin Ahmed struck Smith on the pad. Bangladesh appealed strongly, but umpire Nitin Menon shook his head and ruled out the appeal.
Taskin appeared keen to convince Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto to review the decision. As Shanto discussed the possibility of a review with his bowler, Smith was heard commenting on the delivery. “I’m halfway down the wicket to him, it’s going miles over,” Smith said during the appeal.
Smith then appeared to encourage Bangladesh to use the review system. “Go for it,” the Australian batter was heard saying as Shanto continued his discussion with Taskin. Shanto eventually decided against reviewing the decision despite the appeal from his bowler.
The incident then caught the attention of both on-field umpires. Menon and the other umpire walked towards the crease and gave Smith a warning over his involvement in the exchange.
Smith responded by nodding his head, appearing confused by the warning. The Australian batter had a perplexed look on his face as the umpires spoke to him before play continued.
The moment added another talking point to an already tense contest between Australia and Bangladesh. Smith has previously been involved in several on-field exchanges during his career, often attracting attention for his competitive approach.
