Michael Clarke opens up on why he thinks Steve Smith cheated in South Africa

Michael Clarke believes in second chances and that Steve Smith and David Warner will take theirs but they’ll also carry a weight with them forever.

Steve Smith and David Warner in the offending Test.

Steve Smith and David Warner are about to embark on a quest for more World Cup glory in England but former skipper Michael Clarke has warned their “second chance” though deserved will be hard to take.

Clarke opened up on the two banished batsmen in a wide-ranging interview with Anh Do on his ABC interview show Anh’s Brush with Fame.

Clarke firmly believes that the disgraced duo deserve to get their chance at cricketing redemption but they will always be living with the fallout from the South Africa scandal hanging over them.

“I think as an athlete, particularly in Australia, you can get away with a lot of things,” Clarke said.

“You can’t get away with cheating. And not blatant cheating like that. Like any cheating, but blatant cheating like that. I think those three players (Smith, Warner and Cameron Bancroft) will live with that forever — and that’s a scar that will never disappear.

“In the same breath, I think their punishment is extreme, and I definitely believe they deserve a second chance.”

Michael Clarke is an advocate of a second chance for Australia’s disgraced cricketers.

Clarke still to this day can’t comprehend what it would be like to be in Smith’s shoes then, or now but also said the trio, especially Smith and Warner must have been thinking the worst, at least in cricket terms of the pressure on them.

“I can’t put myself in his (Smith’s) shoes,” he said.

“I have no idea. Maybe Steve Smith didn’t feel like he was 100 per cent accountable to running that team.

I think he’s realised definitely now that, ‘My God, because I am the captain, I was accountable’ for that.

”You get to a stage where you feel you’ve got to take sandpaper to win a game of cricket you’re in deep s**t.”

Clarke once again opened up on what it was like to have to go through the tragedy of Phil Hughes’ death.

The pair were close with Clarke giving a memorable eulogy at Hughes’ funeral and when speaking about his fallen friend Clarke broke down in tears as he talked not only about Hughes’ talent but also his love of life.

“He was as talented as anyone. In my opinion, he would’ve played 100 Test matches for Australia,” Clarke said.

“He was that good. He loved the game that much but he didn’t love it too much in regards to — it was his only thing in his life.

“You know, he loved his cattle as much as he loved his cricket. He loved his family more than he loved his cricket. But he still had that, that work ethic, that desire to want to be the best he could be.”

Clarke then recounted what it was like to be with Hughes in hospital but ended on a positive when Do, asked if he thought he’d possibly see his mate again what they would theoretically do?

Clarke answered with a smile: “Talk cattle, knowing him. He’ll be talking about his bulls. He loves his cattle.”