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The debate has once again erupted on the ‘Sandpaper Gate’ i.e. Ball-Tampering Scandal of 2018, which is one of the most controversial and dark chapters of the cricket world. Former South African captain Faf du Plessis has openly remembered that painful incident and defended the then captain of the Australian team Steve Smith. There was an earthquake in cricket history after the Test match played against South Africa in Cape Town, after which Cricket Australia imposed strict sanctions on Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. But now Faf du Plessis has given such a statement during an interview, which has sparked a new discussion in the cricket circles. Du Plessis says that it was completely wrong to blame Steve Smith personally for that entire episode and that he had just become a victim of a larger system and circumstances in the tough administrative decisions of that time.
Recalling that incident, Faf du Plessis told how huge tension and pressure was created on the field. The Test series being played between Australia and South Africa in the year 2018 was very aggressive and high pressure. During the series, the war of words and chaos on the field between the two teams was at its peak. In such a situation, when the matter of tampering with the ball on the field came to light from the dressing room during the Newlands Test, the entire cricket world was stunned. Du Plessis said that as a captain, the captain has the moral responsibility for everything that happens on the field, but it does not mean that the captain has complete information about every small activity happening on the field. He clarified that Steve Smith was playing on the field at that time and when it came to light, the honesty and responsibility with which he accepted his mistake in the press conference reflects his greatness and not any premeditated crime of his.
That press conference of 2018 is still fresh in the minds of cricket lovers, where Steve Smith, crying profusely in front of the media at Sydney Airport after returning from South Africa, apologized to his country and the game. That one year ban had put a huge eclipse on his shining career. Faf du Plessis said that the treatment given to Steve Smith by the media and the cricket board at that time was more harsh than necessary. Du Plessis acknowledged that ball-tampering was a serious crime and a violation of the rules, but it was not fair to single out a player for it. He said that Smith is a very honest player on the field who loves the game more than his life, and recovering from that mental trauma and returning to international cricket and regaining his old reputation can only be done by a very strong willed person.
This statement of Faf du Plessis has come at a time when the pressure of performance, social media trolling and strict rules on players is continuously increasing in modern cricket. Sports experts believe that rekindling such old controversies underlines the need for cricket boards to pay more attention to the mental health of players and the dressing room culture. Today, when Steve Smith is scoring runs in Test cricket and is counted among the most reliable batsmen of Australia, these words of Faf du Plessis have once again confirmed that the incident of that period was a collective mistake, for which it was unfair to blame Steve Smith alone. Cricket fans and analysts are now discussing whether after this statement, Cricket Australia or other giants will consider this historical controversy from a new perspective.