Head rebuts criticism over selection | 01:29
Courtney Walsh from Fox SportsOctober 9th, 2026 9:30 am
It is greater than eight years since a devastated dad sat together with his shattered son at Sydney Airport, consoling a person who felt he had misplaced nearly every little thing of significance to him after a second of madness in South Africa.
Peter Smith had been there when his proficient son Steve made his first ever century in under-10 cricket at Casuarina Oval, a few 20-minute drive from the soulless room they were now sitting in, and was by his side now in probably the most testing second of his life.
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In the two decades since that knock not removed from the family residence in Alfords Level the little boy with blond locks had matured into the best Australian batsman since Don Bradman, an astonishing accolade given the greats who had carried that label in earlier generations.
His brilliance had introduced him fame – not essentially something he was overly comfortable with – and fortune and catapulted him to a task thought of the second most necessary in the land as captain of the Australian cricket group.
But now it was over, dashed by a second of madness a week earlier in Cape Town when younger Western Australian opener Cameron Bancroft was captured on film placing sandpaper down his strides. And the days since had been an exhausting, unending nightmare.
Smith was sacked as Australian captain and banned for a yr.
He had been pursued by a frenzied pack of photographers by Johannesburg airport as though he was on Australia’s Most Wanted record.
PART ONE:‘What did you f***ing say?’ How weapons, scandal and toxic ultimatum lit Sandpapergate fuse
PART TWO: A hidden act had saved Australia from its deepest shame… then came sickening snub
To be fair, there have been some who most likely thought he should have been given the shame Sandpapergate had introduced on Australian cricket.
Now Smith needed to face the music again, to outline his despair at what had unfolded in South Africa, mindful that there were no certainties he would ever play cricket for Australia again. How had it all come to this?
Standing alongside him was his dad, stoic but shattered for his son and that, in response to famend Australian cricket journalist Malcolm Conn, was maybe the one blessing from what was another awful day for Aussie cricket.
Conn, who had either broken or coated most of Australian cricket’s largest tales over three many years, had jumped to the opposite side and was serving a joint function as a senior communications officer for Cricket New South Wales and Cricket Australia in Sydney.
His task that day was to co-ordinate the arrangements round Smith’s mea culpa.
But it was removed from a easy task given the emotion at hand and it acquired even crazier when David Warner and his family, who had caught a separate flight, landed and were chased by the airport.
But again to Smith and his dad. Thank God the outdated boy was there, Conn not too long ago advised foxsports.com.au
“Steve went into the again room and his dad Peter, who we saw in the press conference was the world’s loveliest bloke, was there, and Steve goes and does the press conference and breaks down,” Conn said.
“I’m glad his father was next to him, because it was intestine wrenching watching this kid who … from the age of 15, all he had lived for was to play cricket for Australia and it regarded like the entire thing had been taken away from him.
“He was simply fully gutted for the truth that he had misplaced every little thing, for what he had executed to Australian cricket, for what he had executed to his family. It felt bloody awful being there.”
Bancroft had already spoken on the WACA in Perth, clearly emotional as he expressed his deep regret whereas conceding he had lied initially about not having sandpaper in Cape Town.
Warner had already minimize himself off from teammates by eradicating himself from a WhatsApp group chat and initially used social media to apologise, conceding it was a stain on the game, before fronting the press on the SCG a few days later.
But Smith was the Australian captain.
From the second he saw the footage of Bancroft on the massive display at Newlands, he knew hassle was afoot, though initially he didn’t realise simply how much of an impression the scandal would create in Australia and world wide.
“To all of my teammates, to fans of cricket all over the world and to all Australians who’re disillusioned and indignant, I’m sorry.I made a severe error of judgement and I now understand the consequences,” he said.
“It was a failure of leadership (below) my leadership. I’ll do every little thing I can to make up for my mistake and the damage it has caused. If any good can come from this, if it may be a lesson to others, then I hope I generally is a pressure for change.”
Smith took a handful of questions, together with a reprehensible effort from a fool representing a Sydney FM station making an attempt to take the p*** of a situation that was clearly devastating, and broke down another time.
“I know I’ll regret this for the rest of my life. I’m absolutely gutted. I hope in time I can earn again respect and forgiveness,” he said.
“To see the best way my outdated man’s been and my mum, it hurts. I need to say I’m sorry and the ache I’ve delivered to Australia and the fans and the public, it’s devastating and I’m truly sorry. I love the game of cricket.”
The general public crucifixion full, Smith headed again into the international terminal preparing for his escape to New York, the place he sought anonymity among the many hundreds of thousands living in the concrete jungle to grieve the situation.
‘I learn lots from Steve’ | 01:25
The price of headbutting the line
A number of days earlier it seemed inconceivable that the scandal would reach this level of absurdity because the Aussies made their method silently again to the group lodge in Cape Town following a hefty loss that saw them trailing 2-1 with one Check remaining.
At that stage, there was one certainty. Smith would miss the ultimate Check in Johannesburg after receiving a one match ban from the ICC.
But the powerbrokers in Cricket Australia were smarting and intent on making a stand after years the place the Aussies had “head butted the line”.
Cricket Australia’s excessive performance supervisor Pat Howard and integrity boss Iain Roy arrived in Cape Town the day after the Check ended. James Sutherland, the physique’s chief govt, was not far behind them. And with even the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull baying for blood, heads were going to roll.
The Aussies were shell-shocked as they flew east across South Africa for the ultimate Check.
If they had felt paranoid after arriving in Cape Town to learn that Kagiso Rabada had been cleared to play after a shoulder charge of Smith, the side now felt below siege.
Media organisations had arrived from the UK to affix the Aussie and local press. The English weren’t going to let slip a chance to kick the Aussies after they were down.
The sordid saga had even made The New York Times – it was maybe greatest Smith was avoiding the papers given he was about to embark to the Big Apple to recuperate.
But it was not only the ready media that created the stress.
In the group lodge the Australian administration was summoning gamers to rooms to be interrogated on who knew what, when and the place, which was scarcely the ideal preparation for the ultimate Check of a series that was still alive.
It created additional divisions in a group that was at breaking level.
Tim Paine, who had deputised for the ultimate day of motion in Cape Town, was entrusted with changing into Australia’s 46th Check captain, much to his shock.
He had debuted alongside Smith at Lords again in 2010 however attributable to accidents and the adeptness of Brad Haddin had played only eight Tests.
But now he was thrust into a task of extraordinary accountability at a time of Australian cricket’s greatest crisis, at a stage the place he felt awful for what his teammates were experiencing.
“Davey had his family there the whole time, however Steve and Cam were alone. Things were tense and horrible,” Paine recalled in his autobiography The Price Paid.
“I believe Davey felt deserted and that nobody was looking out for him. He’d copped a lot heat for his behaviour on the field after which there was what he was going by with the group.
“For some time there he minimize himself off from all of us and eliminated himself from the group WhatsApp group and I can understand that. The non-public abuse was taking its toll before this, however things had gone from bad to worse.
“On reflection all three of them should have had more help. Possibly we could have executed more as a group or an organisation. Not sufficient folks put themselves of their footwear.”
Ultimately the gamers were called right into a room and Sutherland, the CEO, informed them of the bans, with an added sting for Warner – he acquired a lifetime ban from leadership.
Paine couldn’t help however ponder if he was paying the price for being outspoken during the acrimonious pay dispute that unfolded during 2017.
After one final fitful evening of sleep, the suspended trio packed their luggage and headed for residence as these left in South Africa contemplated how they might presumably perform without them.
Skilled journalist Pete Lalor wrote in a bit for Cricket Et Al this week that there was an intense unhappiness about watching Bancroft shadow-batting in the lobby of the lodge as Smith dropped his bag to bid farewell to the bleary-eyed press pack covering the tour.
Having spent a lifetime covering and critiquing the Australian group, Conn could understand the sentiment expressed by these together with the Prime Minister in the aftermath of Sandpapergate, even when he couldn’t fairly believe the harshness of the penalties issued.
“When something happens on the cricket subject that is definitely not cricket, it’s nearly like it’s an insult to the nation,” Conn said.
“It is like it’s tarnishing all of us and that we are offended that someone representing our nation as an envoy could ever behave that method. That was the sensation that came pouring forth. Australians felt humiliated, offended, let down.
“One of many few things the nation had, even before the Federation, was an Australian cricket group. It is part of the material of the nation. So to have such a complete breach of trust take place, to be cheating like that, folks were mortified and understandably so.”
Head hits again at critics | 00:47
‘No Australian will ever tamper with the ball again’
The harshness of the penalties prompted a divide and in addition a rethink on the ICC, which promised to reconsider the best way they sanctioned offences.
But the South Africans viewed the sanctions with some bemusement and with good motive, as legend Barry Richards advised foxsports.com.au
“To be sincere with you, having played the game, it didn’t surprise me that this sort of thing occurred,” Richards said.
“It’s not prefer it had not been occurring for years with creams, lip balms, Murray mints, sand in the pocket, these types of things. It had simply been very hard to detect because at first there weren’t sufficient cameras.
“But with sandpaper and fingernails taking place, and cameras changing into more prevalent, it was inevitable that it could be picked up at some stage.
“But for all these people who were expressing outrage … that sort of thing had been taking place for fairly a few years. I imply, we had a captain (Faf du Plessis) that had been executed twice for having a zipper on his trousers and rubbing the ball on it, which is actually the same thing.
“There isn’t any nation that may turn round and say the Aussies are big cheats because they have all been at it. Each considered one of them.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan beloved nothing better than getting one over the Aussies and understood instantly that it could be massive news because it was Australia, which had been the “number one pressure in cricket”.
But he said the aftermath was excessive, with the penalties handed to Smith, Bancroft and Warner far too excessive.
“For the Aussies to be caught out in that method, I suppose there have been many world wide most likely chuckling a little bit,” he said.
“But you look again on it now and the best way it was managed and the best way these lads were handled and whereas I believed it was right to return down on them heavily, because you may’t go away and do what they did, however the actual punishment was outrageous, actually.”
The Australian Cricketers Association was also angered, calling into query the method and the penalties whereas arguing there have been a “variety of evident and clear anomalies” in the best way Smith, Warner and Bancroft were handled compared to cricketers from different countries.
But reflecting on the sanctions eight years after the fact, former Australian quick bowler and ex-selector Merv Hughes believes the cruel motion had the required deterring impression.
“You’ve acquired to remember that different groups’ gamers have been caught doing related stuff, if not worse, if not about the same, and so they’ve simply been pleased with their nice or their one or two match suspensions,” Hughes said.
“But what Australian cricket did was say, ‘We’re not pleased with that. We are holding our gamers to the next customary and we don’t need our gamers to do that again.’ They usually despatched a message.
“Yes, the punishments were harsh, however they had to be to gamers in the future thinking about doing the same thing. Now, still, what happens when a player will get executed for tampering, for ball-tampering, is that they’ll get a one-game suspension or they’ll get a nice … however I can guarantee you that no Australian player in the future goes to tamper with that ball.”
Aussie stars preview South Africa series | 10:23
Back in South Africa there was still a Check to play, though even the South Africans were questioning the merits of that as they watched with some astonishment simply how harshly their bitter rivals had been sanctioned.
It sapped among the joy from the series, opener Dean Elgar advised Fox Cricket’s podcast The Follow On not too long ago.
“They weren’t criminals in my thoughts. It was simply extremely badly dealt with,” he said.
“They didn’t commit a crime. And clearly there was a backlash … and I felt it was simply unnecessary and unneeded. And a guy like Steve Smith … I had played towards him for many, a few years, and I played under-19s towards Dave Warner on the World Cup, and to see them undergo what they were going by was very unhappy and I believe it was extremely unnecessary and was fairly bitter from the Australian handling perspective.
“And I’ll most likely get a little bit of flak for saying this … however simply seeing how the entire thing was dealt with again in Australia was extremely unhappy because it truly took the whole sting out of the whole series. It’s nearly like we shouldn’t have carried on taking part in that series.”
Given how the ultimate Check ended up – South Africa dominated a hastily patched-together Australian group – there isn’t a doubt the vacationers would agree.
The gamers had been banished however the casualties didn’t end there.
Before a ball had been bowled Darren Lehmann decided to step down as coach, regardless of Cricket Australia clearing him of any information of the ball tampering scheme.
“I went into the room and sat in the nook as he did the presser,” Paine wrote.
“He was a mess. Crimson-eyed from crying. He’d been adamant he was going to stay with us. He’d had a change of heart, apparently, however I couldn’t help however feel he’d been pushed.”
Matt Renshaw was flown across together with Joe Burns and Glenn Maxwell as potential replacements, whereas Chadd Sayers lastly acquired a chance to play with Mitch Starc injured.
The Aussies not surprisingly played as though they were in a daze. There was little discuss and never an excessive amount of power as they were pummelled.
Sayers snared the prized wicket of AB de Villiers and Pat Cummins secured 5 wickets, however an Aiden Markram century put South Africa effectively on top, with the hosts making 488.
In response, the Aussies managed 221 with Paine, Cummins and Usman Khawaja making half-centuries before South Africa knocked up 6-344 declared in the second innings.
Set an impossible target of 612 to sq. the series, the Aussies wilted badly to be bowled out for 119, with only Burns and Peter Handscomb making greater than 20.
It was the ultimate Check of the grand career of South African paceman Morne Morkel and for all of the enmity that occurred during the series, the Aussies joined their rivals afterwards for drinks in a convi
Cummins’ INCREDIBLE Check Debut at 18! | 16:40
Throughout their absence, Smith and Warner featured in grade cricket in Sydney and drew good crowds to some video games, whereas Bancroft labored away in Western Australia. All three returned to the Check group however Bancroft’s stint was short-lived, much to his chagrin.
Solely Smith stays, however there isn’t a certainty the champion will continue for for much longer.
But he advised Code Sports in September that he expects this series to be no totally different to any other and has regarded in first rate contact in the nets main into the Durban series opener.
“Oh, for me, it’s simply another series,” Smith said.
“All that occurred a long time ago, and we’ve played a lot of cricket; we’ve been again to South Africa since then for one-dayers.
“They’re a great side in the meanwhile, obviously beating us in the World Check Championship remaining. They have a really good pace attack as effectively, so they should be a cracker of a series.”
Throughout their stint on the sidelines, there was immense change in the Cricket Australia administration in addition to the fallout reached all corners of the organisation.
Sutherland’s 17-year tenure as chief govt finished later that yr and he now heads up Golf Australia.
Chairman David Peever, who initiated a review into the series and what went mistaken, found himself in the crosshairs as effectively and departed the organisation, as did a number of different workers members across varied divisions.
It is notable that in the years since, the Aussies have barely ruffled the feathers on the subject of behaviour on the field and whereas they still play the game hard, there’s a friendlier tone, something Travis Head attributes to the growth of franchise cricket.
“Well, it has changed things. It is fully totally different to what it could have been in the 2000s and the 2010, forever most likely, before franchise cricket,” he said.
“If you look again on these series that we watched, you may most likely sense on the TV while you rewatch a few of these 2000, 2010 series,and so on, that it’s a real us towards them mentality. (They took) no prisoners. You’ll be able to sense that once we get celebrations and the send offs right here and there, the sledging right here and there, however now you don’t actually see it because we play with one another as much as we do.
“I believe when it comes to sledging and all stepping into one another, it’s very uncommon that you just see it because so many guys play with one another or somebody in the group has played with that person who can vouch for them, and yeah, take another function if somebody’s acquired a unique opinion. So yeah, (it’s) attention-grabbing.”
How will the Aussies be obtained?
Australian captain Pat Cummins said not too long ago he’s certain the Aussies will receive some flak from the group however famous they have been again on a few occasions for white ball cricket for the reason that infamous tour.
“There is likely to be a little little bit of hostility,” he said.
“So long as I’ve been to South Africa, there are some elements of the group that get caught in, however I reckon we’ve seen it all before. (Sandpapergate) was sort of actually spoken about (in previous white ball series) and it was nearly a bit underwhelming. Everyone moves on.
“I’m certain there’ll be some rowdy folks in the crowd and some articles or some media deliver up stuff, however our group has moved on.”
AB de Villiers, who was the harmless victim in the incident that sparked all of the antipathy in Durban when Nathan Lyon dropped the ball near his head after he had been run out for a duck, is bound that Smith will probably be singled out for abuse from some. But he believes he’s also revered in South Africa.
“With Steve Smith coming again to SA, it will likely be attention-grabbing to see how he will probably be welcomed over right here (with) every little thing that happened in 2018. Obviously it was fairly an emotional series and it isn’t that after that this series is happening now,” he said on the Keepin’ It Cricket podcast.
“I believe ‘Smudge’ is highly revered in South Africa, even with what occurred there in 2018. The way in which he dealt with it all – I imply, there was an unfortunate occasion that occurred there in 2018 – nevertheless it was attention-grabbing to see the way it unfolded a week or two after that and the best way Steve dealt with it in comparison with among the others.
“I’ve always had a lot of respect for him, and he obviously made a mistake there in that Check series, however I don’t suppose the reception he’s going to receive will probably be too bad.”
Former Australian captain and ex-selector Greg Chappell has little question South African fans will raise hell in Durban and beyond, however doubts it is going to have an effect on the Australians.
“Sandpaper-gate? You blokes will discuss it and they will over there because they’ll need to deliver it out and so they’ll need to blow it up. The group will come with placards and comments and so forth,” he said.
“But it’s like, you recognize, we’re still speaking in regards to the bloody Bodyline series, nevertheless it has had no impression on any other series for the reason that Bodyline series. It’s part of the historical past and this is part of the historical past. The South Africans will probably be very completely happy to deliver it to the front of thoughts simply to embarrass the Australian gamers.
“But it’s simply noise. I don’t suppose our blokes will worry about it. I believe Pat and Ronnie (Andrew McDonald) will know easy methods to take care of it. There will probably be moments and there will probably be comments that are made that’ll most likely annoy the Australians. But I believe they may give attention to this series, not the final series.”
Haddin backs Maddinson for take a look at return | 01:28
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