Australian skipper, Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Phillip-Hughes-c2185, by clarifying that the youngster is not a “Cheat”.
Clarke felt that the attitude of the British media towards Hughes was a bit harsh which bashed Hughes by calling him a cheat in their publications. Clarke clarified that when Hughes claimed Alastair Cook’s low catch he didn’t mean to cheat out the English
opener.
The skipper said, "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."
Clarke added, "The umpires obviously referred the catch... I haven't seen the replays. But it must have come up clear that the ball bounced. And the right decision was made."
Former English great, Ian Botham was critical of Hughes’ behaviour regarding the catch and didn’t hesitate to call the young Australian a cheat.
While commentating during the match, Botham said, "Terrible. Cheating. How much do you want it to bounce into your hands?"
The whole fiasco broke out when Alastair Cook on the third day of the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) clipped a delivery of Aussie spinner, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Michael-Beer-c1949. The ball bounced on the ground and into Phillip Hughes’ hands. Hughes, who had to
bend low while trying to take the catch, was not sure, but when he saw the rest of the team celebrating the catch, he decided join in.
Cook, who was batting on 99 at this point refused to walk away and kept his ground. The umpires then had to consult the third umpire to judge whether the catch had in fact been taken.
The TV replays showed that the ball had clearly bounced off the ground before Hughes caught it. Cook was adjudged not out and he went on to make 189 runs. He was then caught by Michael Hussey off Shane Watson’s delivery.
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