Veytics Intelligence
2026-10-07 · Aljazeera

South Africa host Australia who battle more than ‘Sandpapergate’ memories

Australia play their first Test in South Africa since the 2018 ball-tampering scandal when they start a ⁠three-match series in Durban on Friday, with the visitors unlikely to face more than a few heckles over the incident that rocked the sport eight years ago. The tourists’ efforts to roughen ⁠up the ball using sandpaper to aid reverse swing in Cape Town in March 2018 were caught on camera and led to a major reckoning for the game in Australia, with captain Steve Smith among those banned for their role in the subterfuge. Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the first Test battle in South Africa since the infamous series.

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