Ottis Gibson: We feel Quinny didn’t do anything wrong

Proteas coach Ottis Gibson was pretty emphatic on Wednesday regarding the Quinton de Kock-David Warner saga that has overshadowed the build-up to Friday’s second Test against Australia in Port Elizabeth.

The West Indian and the rest of his management team feel strongly about contesting De Kock’s charge, a level one offence for breaching the ICC’s code of conduct.

De Kock’s hearing will take place on Wednesday evening.

Here are some of the relevant questions he touched on.

Why are the Proteas appealing?

We are appealing because we think Quinny didn’t do anything. Quinny wasn’t aggressive. You saw some footage and the footage showed Quinny walking up the stairs and somebody else being restrained and then Quinny gets a level one. That doesn’t seem fair.

Has this whole saga become personal?

To me that’s not the case. What is the case is that Quinny would not have said anything had something not been said to him in the first place. I wasn’t out there. Faf (du Plessis) was there. Faf probably knows what was said. There’s one guy walking up the stairs going back to his dressing room, there’s another guy having to be restrained. If I am walking, trying to get back to my dressing room and somebody is being restrained, how can you fine me for something?

Did Quinton de Kock say something about Warner’s wife? 

I wasn’t there. I can’t categorically speak for another person. There’s this thing and I have seen it recently now about the ‘line’. They are saying they didn’t cross the line but where is the line, who sets the line, where did the line come from? When you are saying you didn’t cross the line but oh no, we didn’t cross the line, you went very close to the line but you didn’t cross it. Whose line is it?

Why haven’t the Proteas just accepted the charge, especially given how there might be a bigger ban is the appeal goes wrong?

The match officials and the ICC govern the game and the umpires on the field must take charge of the game. If things are happening in the game and things are being said and if its within ear shot – if the player is standing at point or wherever he is fielding, surely the umpires can hear. Maybe the umpires need to stand up and take control of the game.

Are you unhappy with the umpires?

Unhappy might not be the right word. We just feel that the umpires are there to do a job and they must do their job. When they hear things, they must take charge and don’t leave it to: oh, we didn’t cross the line. Who sets the line? Where is the line? Who does the line belong to? Can you say whatever you want and then when something is said back to you, it’s offensive? You didn’t tell us where the line was. Lets be clear where the line was. Let’s be clear where the line is.

Are you telling the players now not to talk on the field?

I’m telling them to focus on cricket but if I keep poking at you all the time, I’m sure you will respond as well. So there you go. 

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