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When Steven Smith faced intense public scrutiny following the ball-tampering scandal at the Cape Town Test on March 24, 2018, support came from an unexpected quarter. Faf du Plessis, the South African captain whose team was competing against Australia in that series, recalled the moment Smith addressed the media after play that day.
Speaking in a video series called Cricketers Cricketers on Cricinfo, du Plessis reflected on his empathy for Smith's situation. The South African captain had himself faced ball-tampering charges in Hobart during 2016, when he altered the ball's condition using residue from a sweet. Du Plessis understood the weight of such accusations and the media storm that followed.
"Smith 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 recalled in the aforementioned source.
The Australian captain's willingness to accept blame struck du Plessis as unusual, given that Smith had not personally carried out the tampering. The parallel between his own experience and Smith's predicament moved him to act.
"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 added.
Du Plessis's empathy from personal experience
Du Plessis said he sent a message to Smith immediately after witnessing the media frenzy. The message conveyed solidarity and reassurance during what would prove to be an extraordinarily difficult period for the Australian captain. Du Plessis explained the substance of his outreach to Smith during that turbulent time. However, du Plessis acknowledged that his initial assessment of the timeline proved overly optimistic.
"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," Du Plessis said.
Du Plessis noted that Smith's punishment extended far longer than the immediate aftermath suggested. Smith was banned by the International Cricket Council for one Test, but Cricket Australia imposed a significantly harsher sanction, stripping him of the captaincy and banning him for a year. Vice-captain David Warner received a one-year ban, while Cameron Bancroft, who had attempted to use sandpaper to alter the ball's condition, received a nine-month ban from international and domestic cricket.
Smith's defence of du Plessis in 2016
Du Plessis reflected on how Smith had defended him during the 2016 Hobart incident. When du Plessis's actions were being described as cheating, Smith spoke publicly on his behalf.
"At the time, in our dressing room, honestly, we thought nothing has 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," said Du Plessis.
At the post-match press conference following the Hobart incident, Smith had been asked about du Plessis and the ball-tampering allegations.
"He's not cheating. He's just shining the ball. I've been in many teams where we shine the ball, we use different sweets," Smith had said in Du Plessis' defence.
Du Plessis described Smith's intervention as meaningful and respectful during a moment when the South African captain faced intense scrutiny.
Du Plessis observed that Smith's decision to support him, despite Australia being 0-2 down in the series after the Adelaide Test, demonstrated character. It would have been understandable if Smith, under pressure with his team trailing, had chosen to distance himself or add to the criticism. Instead, Smith chose to defend du Plessis publicly, a choice du Plessis valued deeply.
