Steve Smith has revealed he still suffers from the trauma he experienced around the sandpaper scandal, claiming he was “thrown to the wolves” in the immediate aftermath.
Smith is due to take part in Australia’s Test tour of South Africa next month, their first since the ill-tempered 2018 trip that was marred by the ball-tampering episode which unfolded in Cape Town.
Smith and vice-captain David Warner were banned for a year each for their roles in the incident while Cameron Bancroft – who was caught on camera illegally scratching the ball to aid reverse swing – earned a nine-month suspension as a junior team member.
Smith, now 37, was pursued by media in the airport as he left the country and later gave a tearful press conference repenting for his actions.
The episode has followed him around since, though he has been allowed to return to leadership as Australia’s stand-in skipper for Pat Cummins, and he has revealed the episode had a lingering psychological impact.
“I’m not a big fan of cameras, I get anxious around cameras,” he told CODE Sports.
“That was a traumatic experience in my life and when I hear the flash of a camera it makes me revisit that, in a way.
“The 24-48 hours after being told by (former Cricket Australia chief executive) James Sutherland that I was getting banned for a year, going through the airport in Johannesburg getting absolutely mobbed, and then flying back and doing that press conference…I still have little flashbacks here and there of it.
“I felt like I was kind of thrown to the wolves through (Johannesburg) airport. I didn’t have any support there at all. It was certainly a difficult period, particularly the initial few days after. The mental state I was in was not great.
“I certainly learned from that and have been able to move forward with my life.”
Former England spinner Monty Panesar raised Smith’s past transgressions ahead of last winter’s Ashes series, calling on travelling fans to use it against him. Smith responded by recalling Panesar’s shambolic appearance on Celebrity Mastermind.
The first Test against South Africa takes place in Durban from 9 October, preceded by three ODIs.
