Steve Smith & Faf du Plessis (Source: AFP Photos)
Faf du Plessis and Steve Smith were captains when the infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal, widely known as Sandpapergate, occurred during a Test match between Australia and South Africa at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town.
It all began when Australia’s Cameron Bancroft was caught on television cameras using sandpaper to rough up one side of the cricket ball. Later, Bancroft and captain Steve Smith admitted the plan existed and that they did it deliberately.
Soon after, Smith and the then Australian vice-captain David Warner stepped down from the leadership duties before both serving a 12-month ban from cricket.
Faf du Plessis Reached Out To Steve Smith During His Toughest Times
On a Cricinfo show called Cricketers on Cricketers, Faf du Plessis revealed exactly what happened between him and Steve Smith after the Sandpapergate scandal.
"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. 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]," du Plessis recalled.
Moreover, du Plessis highlighted how he stepped up to support Steve Smith's morale in a professional yet off-the-field friendly way.
"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 added.
Du Plessis Thanks Smith For Supporting Him During Similar Controversy
Not to forget, du Plessis was also found guilty of a ball-tampering scandal when South Africa and Australia played a Test match in Adelaide in 2016. The South African mentioned how Smith addressed the media after that, and made sure it was not a big deal.
"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 in many teams where we shine the ball, we use different sweets," du Plessis added.
"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 concluded.
Australia and South Africa are playing Test cricket again. Their ongoing series, keeping WTC in mind, has been a treat for any neutral’s eyes. Smith is still going strong, while du Plessis is no longer in the mix of things.
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