Sandpaper scandal in the past: Usman
STEVE Smith and David Warner’s reunion with the South African players they were caught using sandpaper against will fizzle out, according to Australian teammate Usman Khawaja.
Twelve players from that infamous Test match in Cape Town 15 months ago are at the World Cup but Khawaja was confident Faf du Plessis’s team would leave the heckling to the Old Trafford crowd in Manchester on Saturday night. “The South African guys are pretty good blokes,” Khawaja said.
“I’ve known them for a long time and I’m sure they will treat them fairly.
“I think Steve and David are playing some beautiful cricket right now.
“They’re part of an Australian team playing some really good cricket, who have fitted in perfectly. That’s all they can do.”
Seven Australians and five South Africans from the Cape Town game are in England, while Australian captain Tim Paine – who is a quasi-assistant coach for Australia A – was spotted at Saturday’s World Cup win against New Zealand at Lord’s.
Khawaja said that after eight World Cup games no opposition players had sledged Smith or Warner about the scandal that rocked Australian cricket in March 2018.
While South Africa have since played Australia, winning an ODI series 2-1 down under last November, the final group match of the World Cup will be the first time Smith and Warner come face-to-face with their foes.
Du Plessis suspected the Aussies were cheating during last year’s heated Test series, which his team won 3-1.
“This series the ball has been reversing quite a bit,” du Plessis said at the time.
“We thought there was no way the ball can go so early – it’s just unheard of for a South African series, with the ball to go this much.”
But relations between the nations aren’t as hostile as some would believe, with du Plessis sending Smith a personal message of support following his 12-month ban.
Australian captain Aaron Finch then named South African tearaway Kagiso Rabada as the player he wished he had access to on the eve of the tournament.
But while the 7-1 Aussies have stormed to the top of the World Cup ladder, South Africa (2-5) imploded last month on their way to an early elimination from the semi-final race.