Mumbai: On Saturday Australian players were left fuming by some suggesting that Adam Voges wore a glove while fielding during the first day of the second Test against New Zealand at Christchurch.
The laws of the game do not allow fielders (except the wicketkeeper) the use of glove of any type and can only stop the ball with their body. Any breaking of this rule results in a five-run penalty for the fielding side.
Voges' hands were first spotted by Matt De Groot, the Breakfast Newsreader – Nova Entertainment.
Is Adam Voges wearing surgical gloves fielding?? Is that legal? #AusvNZ @FoxCricket @Neroli_M_FOX @Bj_orJulian pic.twitter.com/1Vd8nOojyU
— Matt de Groot (@mattdegroot_) February 20, 2016
Speaking from Sydney, Matt Groot said, "It was clear on the television coverage that his hands and wrists were a different colour."
"I was with another sports journalist, Sam Worthington who also looked at the footage and it certainly appeared like surgical gloves."
"It would make no sense, as catching a ball with surgical gloves would be harder, even if it would stop sweaty hands being slippery," he added.
"After posing the question on Twitter for a bit of fun there were many responses agreeing and disagreeing. Those who disagreed questioned why an Australian cricketer would so brazenly try to break the rules. Those who agreed wondered how he could do that without being caught," he added.
"It certainly lit a conversational fuse among local cricket fans."
The Australian spokesperson did rubbish the suggestion at the end of first day's play and is reported to have said, "He (Voges) had strapping tape on his right wrist, which he is permitted to do.”
