Australia batter Steve Smith has opened up about the lasting psychological impact of the 2018 ‘sandpapergate’ ball-tampering scandal, revealing that he still experiences flashbacks from the traumatic ordeal.
The revelation comes as Australia prepares to face South Africa in their first Test series on South African soil since Smith and two teammates were sent home in disgrace ahead of the final match of the 2018 tour.
The scandal erupted when opener Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball during South Africa’s second innings in the third Test. Bancroft subsequently admitted to the tampering, and then-captain Smith later confessed to having prior knowledge of the plot.
The fallout was swift and severe. Smith was stripped of the Australian captaincy and banned from cricket for a year by Cricket Australia. Upon his return to Sydney, he broke down in tears during an emotional press conference at the airport, offering a heartfelt apology.
In a recent interview, Smith shared his ongoing struggles with anxiety, particularly regarding media scrutiny. “I’m not a big fan of cameras; I get anxious around cameras,” he admitted.
“That was a traumatic experience in my life, and when I hear the flash of a camera, it makes me revisit that moment all over again.”
Vice-captain David Warner also received a year-long ban, while Bancroft was suspended for nine months. The scandal drew national condemnation, with then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull stating that the incident “bitterly disappointed the whole nation.”
Smith described the immediate aftermath of his suspension as overwhelming, particularly the chaotic scene at Johannesburg airport. “The 24 to 48 hours after being told by James Sutherland, then chief executive of Cricket Australia, that I was banned for a year… going through the airport in Johannesburg getting absolutely mobbed, and then flying back and doing that press conference—I still have little flashbacks of it,” he recalled.
“I felt like I was kind of thrown to the wolves through Johannesburg airport. I didn’t have any support there at all.”