Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has recalled reaching out to Steve Smith during the 2018 Cape Town ball-tampering controversy, questioning why the Australian had taken responsibility for the incident while expressing solidarity with a rival who had previously stood by him during his own ball-tampering scandal.
Speaking on Cricinfo’s Cricketers on Cricketers, du Plessis said Smith’s response to the controversy had reminded him of the media storm he faced in 2016, when he was accused of using residue from a sweet to alter the condition of the ball during a Test against Australia in Hobart.
Smith, Australia's captain at the time, was at the centre of a major controversy during the 2018 tour of South Africa after Cameron Bancroft was caught attempting to alter the ball's condition with sandpaper in the Cape Town Test. Smith and vice-captain David Warner were also found guilty of their roles in the incident.
"Steve came out at the end of the day [in Cape Town in 2018] saying: 'I take responsibility.' And we were like: 'Why are you taking responsibility? You did nothing wrong,'" du Plessis said.
Du Plessis said he immediately empathised with Smith as the controversy escalated and the Australian faced intense media scrutiny. Drawing parallels with his own experience, the former South African skipper sent Smith a message of support, assuring him that he understood the pressure he was going through.
"And then everything just exploded in terms of the media and how he was being put under pressure. Straight away, I was like: this is not his doing. This is the same thing [as my ball-tampering charge]. 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 a 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. So if you need anything from us, we're here," he told Cricinfo.
The former South Africa captain admitted he had not anticipated the severity of the punishment that would follow, with Cricket Australia eventually imposing one-year suspensions on Smith and Warner and removing Smith from the captaincy. Bancroft received a nine-month ban, while the International Cricket Council handed Smith a one-Test suspension.
Du Plessis also recalled how Smith had defended him during the 2016 Hobart controversy, when accusations of cheating began to spread internationally. The South African said the situation had initially appeared relatively minor to his dressing room, before the growing media attention turned it into a major issue.
"At the time, in our dressing room, honestly, we thought nothing had happened badly. But cameras [were] everywhere. And it just got built up into this thing now. All of a sudden, I was in real trouble. It was going around the world, people saying, 'Cheating.' That weighs heavy on you,” he said.
According to du Plessis, Smith was asked about the allegations against the South African and chose to defend him, despite the pressure surrounding the issue.
“He was asked: What are your thoughts on Faf du Plessis and Mintgate, and it's terrible, he's cheating. And he's like, no, he's not. He's just shining the ball. I've been on many teams where we shine the ball, we use different sweets. 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 probably the human, the right thing, versus the pressure thing. That was amazing for me to see. I remember just saying that that meant a lot to the South African team and the respect that we got for Steve Smith that day," he added.
Du Plessis said Smith's willingness to speak up when he could have simply criticised his rival left a lasting impression on the South African camp.
Speaking on Cricinfo’s Cricketers on Cricketers, du Plessis said Smith’s response to the controversy had reminded him of the media storm he faced in 2016, when he was accused of using residue from a sweet to alter the condition of the ball during a Test against Australia in Hobart.
Smith, Australia's captain at the time, was at the centre of a major controversy during the 2018 tour of South Africa after Cameron Bancroft was caught attempting to alter the ball's condition with sandpaper in the Cape Town Test. Smith and vice-captain David Warner were also found guilty of their roles in the incident.
"Steve came out at the end of the day [in Cape Town in 2018] saying: 'I take responsibility.' And we were like: 'Why are you taking responsibility? You did nothing wrong,'" du Plessis said.
‘We're behind you’: Faf's message to Smith
Du Plessis said he immediately empathised with Smith as the controversy escalated and the Australian faced intense media scrutiny. Drawing parallels with his own experience, the former South African skipper sent Smith a message of support, assuring him that he understood the pressure he was going through.
"And then everything just exploded in terms of the media and how he was being put under pressure. Straight away, I was like: this is not his doing. This is the same thing [as my ball-tampering charge]. 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 a 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. So if you need anything from us, we're here," he told Cricinfo.
The former South Africa captain admitted he had not anticipated the severity of the punishment that would follow, with Cricket Australia eventually imposing one-year suspensions on Smith and Warner and removing Smith from the captaincy. Bancroft received a nine-month ban, while the International Cricket Council handed Smith a one-Test suspension.
Smith had stood by Faf during ‘Mintgate’
Du Plessis also recalled how Smith had defended him during the 2016 Hobart controversy, when accusations of cheating began to spread internationally. The South African said the situation had initially appeared relatively minor to his dressing room, before the growing media attention turned it into a major issue.
"At the time, in our dressing room, honestly, we thought nothing had happened badly. But cameras [were] everywhere. And it just got built up into this thing now. All of a sudden, I was in real trouble. It was going around the world, people saying, 'Cheating.' That weighs heavy on you,” he said.
According to du Plessis, Smith was asked about the allegations against the South African and chose to defend him, despite the pressure surrounding the issue.
“He was asked: What are your thoughts on Faf du Plessis and Mintgate, and it's terrible, he's cheating. And he's like, no, he's not. He's just shining the ball. I've been on many teams where we shine the ball, we use different sweets. 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 probably the human, the right thing, versus the pressure thing. That was amazing for me to see. I remember just saying that that meant a lot to the South African team and the respect that we got for Steve Smith that day," he added.
Du Plessis said Smith's willingness to speak up when he could have simply criticised his rival left a lasting impression on the South African camp.