AUS vs SA: Faf du Plessis Tears Apart Steve Smith

Former South African captain Faf du Plessis accuses Australian star batter Steve Smith of “milking” the situation after his infamous on-field collision with bowler Kagiso Rabada during the 2018 Test series. The 38-year-old mentioned the incident and compared Smith to a football player in his autobiography.

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Steve Smith Brushed Shoulders With Kagiso Rabada: Faf du Plessis What’s Happened Has Happened: Kagiso Rabada

During the second Test of the series at St. George’s Park in Port Elizabeth, the South African speedster allegedly yelled in the captain’s direction after lbw-ing Smith for 25 before they even made contact.

Shaun Marsh was accused of making touch before completing an unsuccessful review by Steve Smith as soon as he turned around. The ICC gave Rabada a two-match suspension, but it was overturned following a six-hour appeal.

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Steve Smith Brushed Shoulders With Kagiso Rabada: Faf du Plessis

Du Plessis noted the following in his memoirs “Faf: Through Fire”:

“This episode has almost been forgotten against the backdrop of what the series still had up its sleeve, or more accurately, down its trousers. They brushed shoulders during one of KG’s overs but Smith milked it like a football player. We knew that KG was one demerit point away from a suspension.”

Steve Smith and Kagiso Rabada (PC-Twitter)

After the ICC overturned his penalty, Steve Smith showed his displeasure by stating that he would never advise his bowlers to enter their area after gaining a wicket and that the ICC had set a precedent.

The right-handed hitter denied there was animosity between the two countries before to the upcoming series. Joe Root, a bowler for the Proteas, was given another suspension in the early months of 2020 due to the same infraction.

What’s Happened Has Happened: Kagiso Rabada

Rabada hinted to News Corp before the first Test in Brisbane that he might not talk about the incident before his retirement. He explained:

“What’s happened has happened. I am not going to say anything now. After my career I might talk a bit more about it and look back at what happened. But at the moment we will move on. It was definitely a Test series I will never forget and things did not end too well off the field.”