‘Smith milked it like a soccer player’: South Africa reopen Sandpapergate wounds

A South African star central to Australia’s ugliest ever tour has re-opened old wounds, comparing Steve Smith to a ‘football player’ days out from the first Test.

Faf du Plessis has re-opened the wounds of cricket’s ugliest ever tour by accusing Steve Smith of “milking like a football player” in a showdown with explosive fast bowler Kagiso Rabada.

In all the hypothesising about what events led to the Sandpapergate scandal, perhaps the most underplayed factor was the fury that erupted in the Australian camp two days before the Cape Town Test when Rabada was sensationally cleared at a six-hour appeal hearing of intentionally barging into Smith.

On day one of the preceding second Test in Port Elizabeth, a fired-up Rabada made physical contact with Smith’s shoulder after dismissing the batsman, having already given David Warner an aggressive send-off. Rabada was charged over both incidents.

“This episode has almost been forgotten against the backdrop of what the series still had up its sleeve, or more accurately, down its trousers,” wrote du Plessis in his recently released book.

In his retelling of the events leading into the Sandpapergate Test, the former Proteas captain accused Smith of deliberately staging for Rabada to be cited by umpires.

“They brushed shoulders during one of KG’s overs but Smith milked it like a football player,” wrote du Plessis.

“We knew that KG was one demerit point away from a suspension.”

A tight-lipped Rabada only added to the anticipation over what might happen when he charges into Smith and Warner at the Gabba this weekend when he told News Corp he will refuse to discuss the heated clash with the world’s best batsman until after he’s retired.

“What’s happened has happened,’’ Rabada told News Corp.

“I am not going to say anything now. After my career I might talk a bit more about it and look back at what happened. But at the moment we will move on.

“It was definitely a Test series I will never forget and things did not end too well off the field.”

After originally copping a two match suspension which would have ruled him out of the remainder of the 2018 series, Rabada became one of the first players to ever have an ICC ban successfully overturned.

Kagiso Rabada confronts Steve Smith after getting him out in the second Test.

The South Africans lawyered up for a marathon hearing where a bemused Smith was not even invited to give his version of events.

Proteas quick Vernon Philander was another to accuse Smith of “milking”; claims the Australian captain rubbished at the time.

“The contact was harder than it actually looked on the TV. Whether it was intentional or not that’s not for me to decide,” Smith said following the contentious hearing.

“I was going down the other end of the wicket to speak to Shaun (Marsh) who was in with me at the time.

“I think when you’ve got someone out you’ve already won the battle. There’s no need to go over the top. I was walking down the other end of the wicket, I certainly didn’t change my line or anything.

“… The ICC have set the standard, haven’t they? There was clearly contact out in the middle. I certainly won’t be telling my bowlers to go out there and after you take a wicket go and get in their space. I don’t think that is on and part of the game.”

Rabada said in the wake of the incident that he would not change his emotional reactions after taking wickets.

“No I won’t change the way I express myself. I will just get far away from the batter.”

Smith told News Corp earlier this summer that he would not be intimidated should Rabada try and get in his face again.

“Nah, I guess it’s all part of it. Chill out and go about your business and try and play,” said Smith.

“That’s pretty much it. Just play the game.

“He’s (Rabada) a competitor. He’s a terrific bowler. You just have to look at his record and he’s always at you.

“It’s going to be a good summer with both their attack and our attack going at it. It should make for some entertaining cricket.”

Smith admitted this week he has been troubled more by South Africa’s hostile bowlers than any other attack he’s faced.

“South Africa’s probably the one team that have bowled pretty well to me in the past, my record’s probably not quite as good against them as some of the others,” Smith said.

Only one of Smith’s 29 career Test hundreds has come against South Africa.