In the world of cricket, support can manifest from the most unlikely of places. Steven Smith discovered this during the infamous ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town in 2018, receiving empathetic backing from Faf du Plessis, the opposition captain at the time.
Reflecting on the event in Cricinfo’s new series, Cricketers on Cricketers, du Plessis shared his thoughts on the pressure Smith faced, recalling his own experiences from two years earlier when he was caught altering the ball using sweet residue in Hobart 2016.
“Steve came out at the end of the day in Cape Town saying, ‘I take responsibility.’ And we were like, ‘Why are you taking responsibility? You did nothing wrong,'” said du Plessis. “Things escalated dramatically in the media; he was unfairly pressured.” Du Plessis emphasised, “I remember messaging him, ‘Sorry you’re facing this, but be strong. It’ll be tough for a bit, then ease.’ Little did we know it would drag on for a year.”
Smith was sanctioned by the ICC for one Test but faced harsher consequences from Cricket Australia, who stripped him of the captaincy and imposed a one-year ban. Teammates David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, who attempted to alter the ball’s condition with sandpaper, received similar penalties.
Reflecting on his own scrutiny in Hobart, du Plessis expressed gratitude for Smith’s support. “Our dressing room didn’t think much of it initially, but it blew up globally, branded as cheating. That weighs heavily,” he recalled.
Despite Australia’s challenging position, trailing 0-2 in the series, Smith defended his rival at a press conference. “He was asked about Mintgate and said, ‘He’s not cheating; he’s just shining the ball. We’ve used sweets too.’ That was a significant moment for our team—I remember thinking how much respect that garnered for Steve Smith,” du Plessis noted.
Within the episode, Aaron Finch joined du Plessis in recounting some of Smith’s peculiar habits, like rejecting 29 out of 30 bats offered by a bat-maker and maintaining fierce competitiveness, even when playing with young fans.
For deeper insights into this fascinating relationship, be sure to catch the full episode of Cricketers on Cricketers, featuring both Faf du Plessis and Aaron Finch.
