DRS controversy: BCCI files official complaint against Steve Smith, Peter Handscomb

New Delhi: A day after the International Cricket Council (ICC) ruled against sanctioning Australian captain Steve Smith over the DRS controversy, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday filed an official complaint to the sport's world body.

According to reports, the BCCI has filed the complaint against Smith and Peter Handscomb, the Aussie middle-order batsman who was at the crease alongside Smith at that point.

Reports claimed that the BCCI has emailed documents along with a video footage of the incident to the ICC, pressing Level 2 charges under the global body’s Code of Conduct.

“Yes, the BCCI today officially lodged a complaint with the ICC against Smith and Handscomb. They have submitted the video footage of the incident where Handscomb is insisting Smith to go up for a review and umpire Nigel Llong is seen intervening,” a top source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

“The BCCI is well within their rights to lay official charge as a Level 2 charge needs to be pressed within 48 hours of the completion of the match,” the source said.

The ill-tempered match turned on its head when a furious Indian captain Virat Kohli raised the alarms when his rival number Smith tried to seek dressing room assistance over whether to ask for a review of the umpire’s LBW decision.

Later, Smith admitted to the act, but dismissed it as a "brain fade". During the post-match conference, Kohli said that the Aussies "crossed the line", and stopped short of calling Smith a cheat.

Then, the controversy deepened with both the cricket boards coming to the defence of their respective captains, and many legends of the game divided over the issue, of sportsmanship, integrity, etc.

But the ICC released a statement yesterday, saying there's no need to act on the players.

"No charges have been laid against any player under the ICC Code of Conduct following the second Test match between India and Australia in Bengaluru," it read.

Early today, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar slammed the ICC.

“It can’t be that some countries get favourable treatment and some countries do not get favourable treatment.

“Tomorrow, for example, if something similar is done by an Indian player … he also should not be pulled up at all,” Gavaskar told NDTV.