Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Steve Smith Revisits Trauma of 2018 Ball-Tampering Scandal
Steve Smith spoke about a difficult cricket scandal from 2018.
He was involved in a plan to change the condition of the ball using sandpaper.
Cricket Australia removed him as captain and banned him for one year.
Smith says he felt alone when he left South Africa and returned to Australia.
He still sometimes remembers the stressful experience when he hears cameras or flashes.
After his ban, he returned to cricket in 2019.
He scored a century at Edgbaston during the Ashes.
That innings helped him believe he was still a very good player.
He is now looking forward to playing in South Africa again.
Steve Smith says he felt unsupported and “thrown to the wolves” after leaving South Africa in 2018.
He continues to experience flashbacks linked to camera shutters and flashes during his departure and airport press conference.
Cricket Australia sacked Smith as captain and banned him from elite cricket for one year over the ball-tampering incident.
Smith considered the punishment harsh but said the enforced break helped him step away from international cricket’s intensity.
His emotional century at Edgbaston during the 2019 Ashes helped restore his confidence and sense of belonging.
- Who
- Steve Smith, former Australia captain and current Test vice-captain, discussed his experience.
- What
- Smith described the emotional impact of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, his punishment, and his return to cricket.
- When
- The scandal occurred in 2018; Smith discussed it ahead of a planned return to South Africa on October 9.
- Where
- The incident occurred during a Test at Newlands in Cape Town, while Smith’s departure and return involved Johannesburg and Sydney.
- Why
- Smith was reflecting on the experience before returning to South Africa for a three-match Test series.
- Incident
- A plan to rough up the ball with sandpaper during the third Test against South Africa in 2018.
- Punishment
- Cricket Australia sacked Smith as captain and banned him from elite cricket for one year.
- Reported impact
- Smith said he still experiences flashbacks triggered by camera shutters and flashes.
- Return to cricket
- He returned for the 2019 50-overs World Cup and the Test side during that year’s Ashes.
- Emotional milestone
- Smith scored centuries in both innings of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston.
- Upcoming series
- Australia is scheduled to play a three-match Test series in South Africa beginning in Durban on October 9.