Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer

Centurion – There will be extra electricity in the air now when South Africa meet England for a full summer series in a few weeks – and not just because that team has bombed the Proteas out of the ICC Champions Trophy.

Visiting captain Andrew Strauss’s adamant refusal of a runner for his cramping, century-making opposite number Graeme Smith, towards the end of his epic innings of 141 here on Sunday night, will be just the catalyst to provide that.

Nobody can directly accuse Strauss of poor sportsmanship because it is within his rights to block the intended move – runner AB de Villiers got all the way to the pitch before being turned back by the England leader following some earnest words involving both captains and the umpires.

But it may be an issue the ICC will have to consider offering some deeper “guidance” or even legislation on, because the practice is also a time-honoured, humanitarian-type one, if you like, for batsmen who are clearly labouring during a lengthy vigil.

Cramping is a condition slightly more complex, of course, to an out-and-out injury, which means a request for a runner by a batsman still at the crease and potentially able to determine the outcome of a key match largely depends on the charity - or not - of the captain in the field.

The summoning of a runner is open to abuse, yet there can simultaneously be no thought on this occasion that Smith was in any way feigning his condition – it had been a hot day and the Proteas skipper was in the field for almost 95 of the high-stakes contest’s full 100 overs.

Yet Strauss afterwards got in a barb, whether intended or not, that may not escape the memory bank of the South African camp, who must regroup now for the five-match ODI series in November preceding a four-Test one as well.

“Cramping is partly a preparation, conditioning thing,” Johannesburg-born Strauss said at the post-match press conference.

“My personal view is that you shouldn’t have runners for cramp, fullstop. It’s maybe something for the ICC to look at.”

Proteas batsmen have occasionally been more prone in the past than others in one-day contests to the condition, which used to raise questions over individuals’ fitness, although some of the most sprightly cricketers on the planet can also fall prey to it when or where they least expect it.

Ironically, several senior South African players, taking advantage of a rare, lengthy off-season to do some dedicated out-of-competition conditioning work (Smith certainly among them) have turned up for the 2009/10 season in much better bodily nick than they have for some time.

The mostly ashen-faced, vanquished captain, indeed, did manage to produce a hearty personal laugh when commentator and writer Neil Manthorp noted to him at the South African press conference that “(generous-girthed former Sri Lanka captain) Arjuna Ranatunga used to have a runner all the time”.

“I hope you’re not likening me to Arjuna,” Smith replied, emphatically breaking his sombre mode. “I think I’ve worked quite hard in the winter (much all-round laughter in the room).

“Look, the umpires also used the analogy of needing the toilet … which I couldn’t quite work out. But it was a crucial period of the game and I just felt it was inconsistent, that’s all.

“I was obviously cramping quite badly. I requested a runner and Andrew spoke with the umpires and turned it down. He felt that if you score a hundred you’re going to be tired.

“From my perspective it’s been a touch inconsistent over the last period – guys have had runners for cramp in the past. There needs to be a degree of consistency there.

“I’m not going to sit here and slag Andrew and say he should have done this or that … I’ll put it behind me now and the thing I’ve learnt about this game is that the world is round and (the issue) will come back somewhere in a game somewhere in his captaincy.

“It will be interesting to see how he handles it again.”

Coach Mickey Arthur, who had looked unusually animated on the South African balcony when Smith’s runner was refused, added: “I concur with Graeme’s (views). We felt there was justification for a runner.”

Suddenly, for likely needle in the series, November in South Africa can’t come quickly enough …