Steve Smith has revealed that the fallout from Australia’s 2018 ball-tampering scandal continues to affect him, admitting that the sound of camera flashes can still bring back memories of one of the most difficult periods of his career.
The Australia batter is preparing to return to South Africa for a Test series, eight years after the controversy that resulted in him being stripped of the captaincy and banned from international cricket for 12 months.
Smith Remembers Being Left Alone in Johannesburg
The incident occurred during the third Test between Australia and South Africa in Cape Town in March 2018, when Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball.
Bancroft subsequently acknowledged what he had done, while Smith admitted that he had been aware of the plan.
The revelations triggered a major crisis for Australian cricket, with Smith and vice-captain David Warner both receiving one-year bans. Bancroft was suspended for nine months.
Smith was also removed from the captaincy and faced intense scrutiny as he left South Africa.
Speaking to News Corp, Smith said the experience surrounding his departure from Johannesburg remains particularly difficult to recall.
“I felt like I was kind of thrown to the wolves through [Johannesburg] airport. I didn’t have any support there at all.”
He said the period immediately after learning about his punishment was especially difficult, describing the days that followed as a time he does not want to experience again.
Camera Flashes Can Still Take Smith Back to 2018
Smith explained that his discomfort around cameras is connected to the intense media attention he experienced during the scandal.
“I’m not a big fan of cameras, I get anxious around cameras,” he said.
“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.”
The Australian batter recalled being informed by then Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland that he would receive a one-year suspension before facing a large media presence at Johannesburg airport.
“The 24-48 hours after being told by James Sutherland that I was getting banned for a year, going through the airport in Johannesburg getting absolutely mobbed, and then flying back and doing that press conference… I still have little flashbacks here and there of it,” Smith said.
Tearful Apology Marked the End of His South Africa Tour
Smith’s return to Australia was followed by an emotional press conference at Sydney Airport, where he broke down while apologising for his involvement in the incident.
The controversy had attracted enormous attention in Australia, with then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull saying the affair had “bitterly disappointed the whole nation.”
For Smith, the intense public reaction became closely associated with the most painful moments of the episode.
“It was certainly a difficult period, particularly the initial few days after,” he said.
“The mental state I was in was not great.”
Smith Tried to Put the Scandal Behind Him
Smith returned to international cricket in 2019 and gradually rebuilt his career, once again establishing himself as one of the leading batters in world cricket.
He also resumed a leadership role, becoming Australia’s Test vice-captain ahead of the 2021-22 Ashes and taking charge of the side on occasions when Pat Cummins was unavailable.
Despite moving forward professionally, Smith acknowledged that he has deliberately tried to distance himself from memories of 2018.
“I’ve tried to kind of erase a lot of 2018 and what happened,” he said.
“I can’t remember a lot about the series. I’ve tried to block most of it out of my memory bank.”
He added that the experience had nevertheless taught him lessons and that he had been able to move forward with his life.
Hostile Crowds Have Become Part of Smith’s Career
Smith has subsequently returned to South Africa, playing a one-day series there in 2020, while also facing hostile receptions during several Ashes campaigns in England.
The batter said dealing with difficult atmospheres away from home has become something he has learned to manage.
“It’s something I’m kind of used to,” Smith said.
“I’ve copped a lot at times away from home, at different venues across my career, and it’s something that I take in my own stride.”
Rather than allowing the hostility to dominate his mindset, Smith said he tries to use it as motivation when he walks onto the field.
“I use it as motivation to try and go out and do well, and try and take a positive from it.”
Australia Prepare for First South Africa Test Series Since the Scandal
Australia’s upcoming three-Test series in South Africa will be the team’s first Test visit there since the events of 2018.
The opening Test is scheduled to begin in Durban on October 9, placing Smith back in the country where the controversy that reshaped his career unfolded.
