Photo via BBC Sport

Traumatised Smith says he was 'thrown to wolves' over 'sandpapergate'

Steve Smith has revealed he continues to endure distressing flashbacks from the 2018 ball-tampering incident ahead of Australia's upcoming three-Test tour of South Africa. The controversy originated during the second innings of the third Test on that tour, when Cameron Bancroft rubbed sandpaper on the match ball, leading to admissions of involvement from both Bancroft and Smith.

Cricket Australia subsequently removed Smith from the captaincy and handed one-year suspensions to him and vice-captain David Warner, while Bancroft received a nine-month ban.

Following the sanctions handed down by then-chief executive James Sutherland, Smith faced extreme public scrutiny, including a chaotic scene at Johannesburg's airport where he felt entirely abandoned, before delivering a tearful apology upon landing in Sydney. Now 37, Smith re-entered the national setup in 2019, eventually assuming the vice-captaincy ahead of the 2021-22 Ashes and occasionally filling in for skipper Pat Cummins.

Although camera flashes still trigger anxiety regarding the ordeal, Smith noted that navigating adverse environments—including a 2020 white-ball visit to South Africa and multiple Ashes campaigns in England—has served as personal fuel on the pitch.