Faf du Plessis recalls supporting Steve Smith during the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, citing their shared experience with media pressure and acknowledging Smith's past defense of him during a similar controversy in 2016.

Reflecting on the 2018 Ball-Tampering Controversy

Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has recalled how he reached out to Australian cricketer Steve Smith during the 2018 Cape Town ball-tampering controversy, saying he empathised with his rival after facing a similar situation himself two years earlier, according to Cricinfo. During Australia's 2018 tour of South Africa, then captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and batter Cameron Bancroft were found guilty in a major ball-tampering controversy. Cricket Australia stripped Smith of the captaincy and banned him and Warner for one year, while Bancroft received a nine-month ban.

Speaking on Cricinfo’s Cricketers on Cricketers, du Plessis recalled Smith’s response to the controversy surrounding him in 2018 and how the Australian had supported him when he was accused of altering the ball’s condition using residue from a sweet during a 2016 Test in Hobart. However, du Plessis also recalled questioning Smith's decision to take responsibility for the Cape Town incident, believing he had done nothing wrong. "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,'" du Plessis said, as quoted by Cricinfo.

Empathy Amid Intense Media Scrutiny

Du Plessis said he empathised with Smith amid intense media scrutiny, drawing parallels with his own ball-tampering controversy, and sent him a message of support, assuring him that the South African team stood by him. "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]. 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 said, as quoted by Cricinfo.

While the International Cricket Council (ICC) banned Smith for one Test, Cricket Australia imposed a stricter penalty, stripping him of the captaincy and suspending him and vice-captain David Warner for 12 months. Batter Cameron Bancroft, who attempted to use sandpaper to alter the ball's condition in an effort to prompt the umpires to replace it, received a nine-month ban.

Gratitude for Smith's Previous Support

Du Plessis said he appreciated Smith's support during the 2016 Hobart ball-tampering controversy, recalling how media scrutiny escalated and the accusations of cheating took a heavy toll on him. "At the time, in our dressing room, honestly, we thought nothing had 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,” he said.

Du Plessis said Smith could have criticised him amid pressure on Australia after the Adelaide Test, but instead defended him against cheating allegations, earning the respect and gratitude of the South African team. “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 on many teams where we shine the ball, we use different sweets. 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 added. (ANI)

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