Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has recalled how Steve Smith’s handling of the 2018 Cape Town ball-tampering controversy reminded him of his own experience two years earlier, prompting him to reach out to his Australian counterpart with a message of support during one of the most difficult periods of his career.
Du Plessis said he empathised with Smith after the latter accepted responsibility for the incident during the Test series against South Africa, even as the controversy triggered widespread criticism.
For du Plessis, the episode brought back memories of the controversy he faced in Hobart in 2016, when he was found guilty of changing the ball’s condition using saliva containing residue from a sweet. The former South African skipper also remembered Smith defending him publicly during the 2016 controversy, despite Australia trailing 0-2 in the Test series after the Adelaide match.
He said the backlash had escalated beyond what the South African team initially anticipated, making Smith’s public support particularly meaningful. “At the time, in our dressing room, honestly, we thought nothing bad had happened,” du Plessis said. That weighs heavily on you,” he said. So if you need anything from us, we’re here,” the former Proteas skipper said. Du Plessis said Smith could easily have capitalised on the situation but instead chose to speak in his defence. Recalling the reaction within the South African dressing room, du Plessis said Smith’s intervention earned him considerable respect from the team. I remember saying that it meant a lot to the South African team and the respect we gained for Steve Smith that day,” he said.
“But there were cameras everywhere. And it just got built up into this thing. All of a sudden, I was in real trouble. It was going around the world, people saying, ‘Cheating. “I remember sending a message and saying: ‘Listen, I’m so sorry you are going through this. Just be strong. It’s going to be hell for a week or so and then it will probably blow over. Never knowing that it was going to be a year for him to go through. But just saying… we’re behind you. We understand you did nothing wrong. “We were listening to it on the TV and literally everyone in our group was like, ‘Wow, he doesn’t have to do that. That was a choice where he went: ‘I’m going to choose the human thing, the right thing, over the pressure thing. That was amazing for me to see.
