'Got to be better than that': England great slams crowd

Ashes legends from both England and Australia have criticised the sections of the Edgbaston crowd that booed Steve Smith after he posted a magnificent century on the opening day of the first Ashes Test.

Playing his first Test since the Cape Town scandal 16 months ago, Smith received a predictably hostile reception from the notoriously vocal Birmingham crowd when he walked out to bat on Thursday, just as David Warner and Cameron Bancroft had done earlier in the morning.

And while the majority of the crowd warmed to Smith during his match-changing innings, led by the pockets of Australian supporters in attendance, boos could still be heard when the former skipper reached three figures and again when he walked off the ground with 144 to his name.

Speaking on the BBC, former England skipper Michael Vaughan and legendary Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath said the boos when Smith, Warner and Bancroft walked to the middle were predictable given the events of last year.

But Vaughan said those fans who continued to boo after watching Smith produce one of the greatest innings in recent Ashes memory had crossed a line.

"When he strolls out at number four, I get the boos," Vaughan said.

"But when someone like that gets a fifty and a hundred and then gets booed off the pitch, come on. We’ve got to be better than that.

"Sometimes you’ve just got to accept that greatness is in front of you.

"Today I thought we saw one of the great, great Test innings."

McGrath was philosophical about the negative reaction from sections of the crowd but added the players themselves had moved on from the scandal.

"You’d expect that at the start," he said. "It was always going to be built up and quite hostile and they were going to give (them) a hard time. We saw it in the World Cup.

"But it’s 16 months ago. People make mistakes, they paid the penalty and they’ve moved on.

"To see people boo him when he got a hundred, an exceptional innings, is a little bit disappointing. But that’s the way it goes."

Image Id: CDF6F9E5D9974DE9846B5AEF666764AB Image Caption: Edgbaston was heaving on Thursday // Getty

England paceman Stuart Broad, an authority on copping abuse during Ashes tours, said the treatment dished out to Smith is part of being a professional sportsman.

"Having gone through getting a bit of stick in Australia, I think it's part of being a professional sportsman," said Broad, who was booed during the 2013-14 series in Australia.

"I actually quite enjoyed it. It was something a bit different and it was a bit of a challenge for me going to Australia and getting ready for that sort of crowd stuff.

"I think footballers who play away from home get it all the time ... it's just a bit unexpected sometimes in cricket, but Smithy seemed to deal with it OK."

Smith insisted the noise didn't bother nor motivate him.

"I know I've got the support of the boys in the room and, for me, that's all that really matters," he said.

Image Id: 4496B5E3936E44F8AA2E262F413DB022 Image Caption: Australian fans show their support for Steve Smith // Getty

"The Aussie supporters that were here, they were very loud today when I got to a hundred. It's great to have some Aussie support over here."

Virat Kohli successfully asked India's fans to stop booing Smith during the World Cup but England's Test captain Joe Root and one-day skipper Eoin Morgan have both opted against trying to moderate fans' behaviour. 

2019 Qantas Ashes Tour of England

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner.

England squad: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes (vc), Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

First Test: August 1-5,Edgbaston

Tour match: Australians v Worcestershire, August 7-9

Second Test: August 14-18,Lord's

Third Test: August 22-26, Headingley

Tour match: Australians v Derbyshire, August 29-31

Fourth Test: September 4-8, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: September 12-16, The Oval