Steve Smith Admits Sandpapergate Memories Still Linger

Steve Smith is preparing to play Test cricket in South Africa for the first time since the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, and he has spoken candidly about how that period still affects him.

A return with history

Australia play three Tests against South Africa, starting in Durban on October 9 and continuing in Gqeberha and Cape Town. Smith has been back to the country for white-ball cricket, but this is his first Test tour there since the incident.

In the Cape Town Test of 2018, Australia were found to have tried to change the condition of the ball using sandpaper. Smith received a 12-month ban from international cricket and was removed as captain for two years.

Smith on the aftermath

Quoted by The South African, Smith said he gets anxious around cameras, calling the episode traumatic, and that the flash of a camera takes him back. He still has small flashbacks now and then.

He remembered the first few days as the hardest, including learning of his suspension, the heavy attention at Johannesburg airport and the press conference. He said his mental state then was poor, that he does not want to return to that place, and that he has learned and moved on. He has also tried to block out much of what happened.

Smith added that facing hostile crowds away from home has been part of his career. He takes it in his stride and uses it as motivation to perform.

The Newlands Test will therefore carry personal and historical weight.