PHILANDER TWEET SETS SCENE FOR CAPE TOWN CAPERS

VERNON Philander is likely to face a sledging storm in Cape Town on Thursday as Australia plans to hit back at his “hacked” attack on Steve Smith with a short, sharp reply of their own.

Plenty of cricketers have been forced to eat their words over the years, but Philander might be the first to eat a tweet.

The South African paceman claimed his account was hacked when he woke up and tried to clean up the mess from a scathing late-night condemnation of Smith’s character delivered from his phone just after midnight.

Philander’s account made the stunning accusation that the Australian captain was in fact to blame for the physical contact that put Kagiso Rabada on the brink of a series ending suspension, pending the outcome of an appeal hearing last night in Cape Town.

The Australians have stood by the integrity of their skipper, with opener Cameron Bancroft arguing that Rabada’s guilt in the shoulderbrushing send-off was obvious.

Sledging has marred the series so far, but Australia won’t be missing an oppor- tunity to cross-examine Philander over his mysterious hack job when the third Test starts.

“If our banter is anything like it has gone this series, I’m sure it will be brought up at some stage to get under someone’s nerves,” said Bancroft.

“That’s boys playing cricket. Who can hurt someone’s feelings the most, it seems to be a bit that way. “We saw the tweet. “It was obviously quite popular there for a little while. I can’t really comment. I don’t know if he wrote it or if his account was hacked. “I can’t really say for him. “That’s his opinion isn’t it? “And he’s got to deal with the consequences of that now, not us.”

Philander’s tweet and South African sources have intimat- ed that they would push a line at a disciplinary hearing that Smith ought to take partial responsibility for the shoulder bump that occurred when Rabada gave the Australian skipper an animated send-off in Port Elizabeth.

The Judicial Commissioner, New Zealand QC Michael Heron, was not expected to hand down judgment for 24 hours after the hearing, but last night he chaired the Rabada appeal via video link.

Rabada, his lawyer Dali Mpofu and South African officials convened at a Cape Town hotel, while match referee Jeff Crowe and other match officials, who had left the tour, also phoned in from abroad.

Bancroft said any suggestion that Smith had played any part in Rabada making physical contact was fanciful.

“I think the ICC have covered the matter pretty thoroughly and pretty well,” he said.

“There’s no doubt in the rules of the game that actions like that aren’t really appropriate.

“They’ll deem from now what comes of that and I’m sure whatever comes about from it will be the right thing. That’s what they’re [match officials] there to do.”

The magnitude of the Rabada hearing is such that his presence or absence from the final two Tests shapes as the potential difference between the two sides.

Bancroft declared the Australians would not allow themselves to be psychologically affected by Rabada’s fate.