Faf du Plessis opens up Steve Smith-Kagiso Rabada fight during 2018 series
Steve Smith, Kagiso Rabada, Faf du Plessis (Image Credit: Twitter)
The former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis‘ book is making headlines for a lot of bad reasons. Initially, the Protean revealed the dark episode about the abrupt ending of his international career. He then revealed that he was ‘jealous’ of his school-time friend, and another former skipper AB de Villiers. Meanwhile, the 38-year-old, Plessis has touched upon the fight between Steve Smith and Kagiso Rabada.
For the unversed, the incident happened during the second Test of the four-match series in 2018. That was the same series when Smith and David Warner were caught tampering with the ball. Meanwhile, coming back to Smith vs Rabada, it all started when the right-arm pacer celebrated Smith’s wicket aggressively. So much so that the shoulders were rubbed between the two players.
The Protean was slapped with a two-match ban. However, it was overturned after a six-hour-long appeal. Meanwhile, years after this, Du Plessis has claimed in the book that it was blown out of proportion and Smith milked the incident for his benefit. The Pretoria player further added that the incident was forgotten after the Sandpaper gate that followed in the next game.
“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,” an excerpt from Faf du Plessis’ autobiography “Faf: Through Fire” read.
South Africa and Australia to lock horns for a three-match Test series
After the Sandpaper incident, both teams are set to play each other in the longest format of the game. The first game will be played in Brisbane from December 17. If the Temba Bavuma-led side managed to win the series by 2-1 or losses to 1-2, they will remain in contention for a spot in the final of the ongoing WTC 2021-23. On the other hand, if the Pat Cummins-led side beats their opposition by 3-0, they will almost qualify for the final.
