South Africa’s cricket boss has asked the fans to treat Steve Smith and David Warner with respect, as they return to the country for the first time since the ball-tampering scandal, and not “embarrass” the cricket board by meting out poor behaviour to the two players.
Steve and Warner received 12-month bans each because of their role in a ball-tampering incident in Cape Town two years ago. When they returned to play for the team, they were relentlessly booed by English crowds during their one-day World Cup and Ashes matches.
Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) interim chief executive Jacques Faul said fans who misbehaved with the players will be ejected from the stadiums during the limited-overs series, which starts with a Twenty20 match in Johannesburg on Friday.
In an interview with Fairfax media, Faul said, “I would plead with South African fans to respect our opponents and don’t go overboard with these things. It’s competitive on the field, and we don’t need it. Sport, in general, doesn’t need that behaviour.”
“We have a very strict policy in terms of fan behaviour and we will evacuate people but the damage will have been done.”
When Australia played against South Africa in 2018, the field with rife with tension between the two teams, well before the tampering incident.
The animosity between David Warner and Quinton de Kock escalated into stairwell confrontation during the first Test in Durban. Teammates had to step in to separate the two players.
Warner and his wife Candice were targeted by crowds as a result, and the CSA apologised to the Australian team after two members of the board were photographed wearing Sonny Bill Williams masks with fans at the ground.
“What happened last time (in South Africa), the behaviour was unfortunate,” said Faul, who became CEO in December.
“It’s embarrassing when it happens – for the stadium and the national federations. If there are best practices that we can learn from to prevent it we’re happy to look at it.”
