Nehra sympathises with Smith, Warner

It will be sad if they miss out on IPL, says RCB bowling coach

Former Indian seamer Ashish Nehra said it would be unfortunate if Steve Smith and David Warner are stopped from playing in the Indian Premier League.

While Nehra, who is Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) new bowling coach and mentor, advocated against ball tampering, he also stressed they don't deserve such harsh punishments either.

"I know what they did was wrong. But this is not the first time the ball tampering is happening. The best part is they admitted to their mistake and ICC has sanctioned them. I think we should move on. Both Smith and Warner are assets not only for Australia but also to their respective IPL teams," Nehra told reporters on Monday.

"Obviously, we don't know what action Cricket Australia will take. Whether they are retained as captains of their respective IPL teams, it is for the franchises to decide, but it will be a big loss to both Rajasthan (Royals) and Sunrisers (Hyderabad) if they lose players of such calibre.

"I don't think they deserve such harsh punishments, whatever happened let's forget and move forward. These things can happen when you are playing abroad. Smith has also stepped down as captain of his national team. They are quality players and it will be sad if they miss out on IPL."

Nehra also pointed out that such incidents happen largely in Test cricket. "You won't see ball tampering more in white ball cricket, especially now when you have two new balls operating from either end. You can see these things more in red ball cricket where you have longer sessions," he said.

Nehra, who retired last year, views himself more of a man-manager than a bowling coach. "Coaching is required at the under-16 and under-19 levels. At the IPL level, you need to be a good man-manager. So I would like to share my experience. I have some experience of playing in the IPL. The Bangalore wicket has never been easy for bowlers, except for last year when it turned. My role is to ensure what is best for that ground. My rapport with Virat (Kohli) will also help," he said.

The 38-year-old former left-arm seamer was satisfied with the way the bowling group has turned out for RCB. The Bangalore side has the likes of Umesh Yadav, Chris Woakes, all-rounders Moeen Ali and Corey Anderson, greenhorns Mohammed Siraj and Kulwant Khejroliya besides spinners like Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar.

"Earlier the RCB was known for batting, but not so much for the bowling. I feel we are now a complete bowling unit," he said.