England captain Andrew Strauss did no wrong by denying his South African counterpart Graeme Smith a runner during their Champions Trophy clash, as Smith was merely tired not injured, feels former England skipper Nasser Hussain.
"Andrew Strauss was right to deny Graeme Smith a runner at the climax of England's outstanding win over South Africa. It is down to the umpires to decide if someone can have a runner and, as I understand it, they were not happy for the South Africa captain to have one, so why should Strauss step in?" Hussain wrote in his column for The Daily Mail.
"Smith had a cramp, which is a fitness issue rather than an injury, and it is impossible to criticise Strauss for saying 'no'," he said.
England went on to win the match and qualify for the semifinals but the decision to deny Smith a runner caused quite a furore in South Africa.
Hussain said Strauss was mindful of the criticism he faced following his decision to recall Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews after a run-out in England's opening match.
"...in the build-up to Sunday's game, Strauss had been criticised publicly by his coach, Andy Flower, over his generous decision to recall Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews after a run-out.
"Strauss must have been conscious of that criticism as he weighed up the situation with Smith," he said.
