Faf du Plessis makes explosive new claims about Steve Smith
Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has accused Steve Smith of 'milking' an ugly incident with Kagiso Rabada in 2018 and suggested it may have been a catalyst for the ball-tampering scandal that unfolded just days later. With Australia and South Africa set for a blockbuster three-Test series starting on Saturday, du Plessis has been doing his best to open old wounds.
In his recently released autobiography, du Plessis touched on the fiery incident involving Smith and Rabada in the first Test of the fateful series in which Australia were ultimately caught applying sandpaper to the ball. Rabada made contact with Smith in a fiery send-off after dismissing him, after producing a similar reaction when getting David Warner out.
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Rabada was charged by the match referee and was facing a two-match suspension due to his accumulation of demerit points. However the Proteas paceman had the charge sensationally overturned in a six-hour appeal hearing, freeing him to play the next Test and remainder of the series.
According to du Plessis, Smith went over the top in his reaction to the contact. He writes: “This episode has almost been forgotten against the backdrop of what the series still had up its sleeve, or more accurately, down its trousers.
“They brushed shoulders during one of KG’s overs but Smith milked it like a football player. We knew that KG was one demerit point away from a suspension.”
Speaking at the time, Smith said: “The contact was harder than it actually looked on the TV. Whether it was intentional or not that’s not for me to decide.
“I was going down the other end of the wicket to speak to Shaun (Marsh) who was in with me at the time. I think when you’ve got someone out you’ve already won the battle. There’s no need to go over the top. I was walking down the other end of the wicket, I certainly didn’t change my line or anything.
“… The ICC have set the standard, haven’t they? There was clearly contact out in the middle. I certainly won’t be telling my bowlers to go out there and after you take a wicket go and get in their space. I don’t think that is on and part of the game.”
Speaking to News Corp recently, Rabada refused to speak in depth about the incident. “What’s happened has happened,’’ he said. “I am not going to say anything now.
"After my career I might talk a bit more about it and look back at what happened. But at the moment we will move on. It was definitely a Test series I will never forget and things did not end too well off the field.”
Faf du Plessis throws support behind David Warner
Meanwhile, du Plessis has thrown his support behind Warner after the Aussie opener recently abandoned his push to have his lifetime leadership ban overturned. Warner was banned from ever holding a leadership role in Australian cricket again over his actions in the ball-tampering scandal.
Cricket Australia recently changed its code of conduct to allow Warner to appeal the ban. However he 36-year-old didn't want to go through a public hearing that would only drag all the ugly details up for him and his family again.
"I said a few months ago I think he (Warner) deserves an opportunity to captain again, he’s done his time,” du Plessis said this week. “He’s gone through a lot since ‘sandpapergate’.
“It was so long ago, and to still have that and the aftermath of that is not nice for him and his family. You don’t want players to go through that over and over again and especially not their families.”
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