"I couldn't believe it," Paul Collingwood jokingly remarked a couple of hours after Andrew Strauss recalled Angelo Mathews at the Wanderers on Friday. His statement in the wake of captain Strauss' choice to allow the Sri Lankan to bat on after Graham Onions' mistaken nudge seemed enough of a chuckle at the time, but on the back of Tuesday's wrangle I'm left to ponder how much truth was laced between his jest.

Competitive in nature or just downright sly, Collingwood's approach to the game has consistently seen him fetch headlines for controversial reasons. From his role at the helm of the infamous Ryan Sidebottom-Grant Elliott incident of 2008 to his failure to adhere to the umpire's decision in Johannesburg, it's clear the man will put his reputation on the line tooth'n'nail every time.

Strauss' refusal of Graeme Smith's request for a runner on Saturday pales in comparison to Collingwood's abject defiance at the Bull Ring and while Daniel Vettori's generous decision to hand the former ODI captain undue reprieve speaks volumes for the Kiwi's stature amongst the admirable of the sport, Collingwood improves his standing alongside the game's questionable minority.

Andy Flower spoke recently of what the Durham bloke brings to the England outfit. 'Combative quality, handy seamer, capable middle-order batsman and quality fielder,' the coach rattled off in varying degrees of praise. 'Gamesmanship' would not have gone amiss in the attributes Flower pinned to Collingwood.

While indirect karma paid Smith's pal, Strauss, a rightful visit at the Wanderers with a second-ball duck, a similar fate awaits Collingwood sooner or later. These unjust aspects of the game have a way of coming back to haunt their instigators. Just ask Michael Vaughan, who in 2008 gave AB de Villiers verbal stick for claiming a catch that wasn't before the Englishman had a dodgy 'catch' of his own turned down a session later. Double standards are rife when the chips are down.

Kudos to Vettori for his handling of Tuesday's saga. His 'higher road' tact flew in the face of all that continues to do undo a game meant for gentlemen. The bearded, bespectacled leader will undoubtedly cop flak from those less magnanimous but ultimately made the noble decision.

Whereas Collingwood's unbecoming defiance rocked up amidst a deadrubber for semi-final qualifiers England, Vettori's withdrawal of the appeal came in a match New Zealand had to - and fittingly did - win in order to advance beyond the group stages of the Champions Trophy.