Proteas coach Russell Domingo says he is “comfortable” with the way the South African team security personnel dealt with fracas at the Adelaide Airport on Monday as “at the time and space we believed it was the right thing to do.”
An ugly shoulder-barging incident occurred between Channel 9 reporter Will Crouch and the Proteas team's security manager Zunaid Wadee after Crouch shoved team manager Mohammed Moosajee in the back and failed to adhere to the media protocol about only being able to shoot visuals. The footage quickly spread via social media.
"There were concerted requests to the particular media people to refrain from questioning our captain (Faf du Plesssis). We were fine with video footage but we specifically asked for no questions to be asked and those protocols weren't adhered to. I respect the decisions that get made and the actions that are taken by our management staff, they've been doing it a long time they know what's best for the team,” Domingo told a packed media room at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday morning.
“Like the media guy will say he's doing his job they consider they've been doing their job. There is no right or no wrong. I am comfortable with the way we've gone about it. We are a unified team, we stand by our captain, we stand by the decisions we've made. They might not have always come across as ideal but in that particular time and space we thought they were the right things to do. It might not always come across as the ideal way to do things, but at the time and space we believed it was the right thing to do.”
The drama, of course, is all centered around Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis, but with video footage emerging of India captain Virat Kohli shining the ball during the first Test against England in Rajkot in a similar manner to the way Du Plessis did without being censured, does Domingo believe his team is being unfairly victimised?
"I don't know if we feel targeted. There are other teams that have maybe done similar things and we have maybe looked at one or two incidences that they have done those things and those things haven't been highlight,” Domingo said.
“I wouldn't say we've been targeted but we have definitely been highlighted. It's definitely been brought to the attention of the world, it's definitely been brought to the intention of the ICC and it’s definitely been brought to our attention although it seemed pretty insignificant at the start of it all. I think quite a lot has been made of it, but there's nothing we can do about it.”
Domingo, though, was critical of the way his under-siege captain Du Plessis was undergoing a trial by social media.
“It's never pleasant when everybody has got an opinion on you and people judge you before a ruling has been made or decisions have been made,” he said.
“But I suppose that's the nature of the world at the moment, everybody has got an opinion and can air that opinion and you are constantly seeing yourself in newspapers and things written about you. I suppose it does wear you down at times, but he's a tough man and a resilient man and the team has supported him and surrounded him and tried to lessen the load on him personally.”
South Africa had a full training session with pink balls out on the outfield and in the nets while Du Plessis’s hearing was underway in the halls of the Adelaide Oval.
Independent Media