Steve Smith opens up about Sandpapergate flashbacks ahead of South Africa Test series
Steve Smith has revealed that he continues to experience disturbing flashbacks to the aftermath of Australia’s infamous Sandpapergate scandal, with the sound of camera shutters still triggering painful memories. The 37-year-old will shortly return to South Africa as Australia prepare for their first Test series in the country since the explosive ball-tampering controversy of 2018, reports BritPanorama.
Smith was Australia’s captain when Cameron Bancroft was caught attempting to alter the condition of the ball with sandpaper during the third Test in Cape Town. Bancroft admitted his actions after play, while Smith acknowledged that he had known about the plan.
The scandal sent shockwaves through Australian cricket and resulted in Smith being stripped of the captaincy and suspended for 12 months by Cricket Australia. David Warner was also banned for a year, while Bancroft received a nine-month suspension. Smith was subjected to intense scrutiny while leaving South Africa before breaking down in tears during an emotional press conference at Sydney Airport.
Speaking eight years later, the former captain admitted that the experience continues to affect him whenever he is surrounded by photographers. “I’m not a big fan of cameras,” Smith told News Corp. “I get anxious around cameras. That was a traumatic experience in my life and, when I hear the flash of a camera, it makes me revisit that in a way.”
Smith recalled being informed of his suspension by then Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland before facing chaotic scenes at Johannesburg Airport, where he claimed to have received little assistance as photographers and reporters crowded around him ahead of his flight home. “I felt like I was thrown to the wolves through the airport,” he said. “I didn’t have any support there at all.”
The batter also admitted that his mental health deteriorated during the immediate aftermath of the scandal, stating, “The mental state I was in was not great. That’s somewhere I’d like not to get to again.” Smith has attempted to block out much of what happened during the 2018 tour and revealed that he remembers little about the series itself.
Since returning to international cricket in 2019, Smith has quickly re-established himself as one of the world’s leading batters. After completing a separate two-year leadership suspension, he was appointed Australia’s Test vice-captain before the 2021-22 Ashes and has deputised for skipper Pat Cummins when required. He has since returned to South Africa for a one-day series in 2020 and faced hostile crowds during multiple Ashes campaigns in England.
Smith insists he has learned to channel abuse from opposing supporters into motivation rather than allowing it to overwhelm him. “I’ve copped a lot at times away from home,” he said. “It’s something I take in my stride. I use it as motivation to go out and do well and try to take a positive from it.” Australia’s three-match Test series against South Africa begins in Durban on October 9.
In many ways, Smith’s journey reflects a larger narrative of resilience in cricket, where the echoes of past mistakes resurface in press conferences and matches. As he approaches another series, one can only wonder if the shadows of Sandpapergate will weigh heavily or inspire him to greater heights on the field.
