SYDNEy – Acting Australia captain Michael Clarke flatly rejected claims that teammate Phillip Hughes attempted to cheat England’s Alastair Cook out of his third century of the series at the final Sydney Ashes Test on Wednesday.
English Test great Ian Botham, commentating on television, called close-in fielder Hughes a cheat for claiming a catch that was subsequently proved to have hit the ground just in front of his hands when Cook was on 99.
Cook, who went on to make 189 in England’s 488 for seven third day total, also defended Hughes against cheating allegations.
“That’s a bit harsh,” Clarke told a post-play press conference. “I can guarantee you one thing: Phillip Hughes is not a cheat. He’s a wonderful young guy. The end result was spot on.
“Hughesy wasn’t sure. (Wicketkeeper) Brad Haddin, who saw the ball clearly, wasn’t sure. We made that quite clear to the umpires.”
