Melbourne [Australia], September 17 (ANI): Australian batting superstar and former captain Steve Smith admitted that he has an 'anxiety' about facing cameras, which can be traced back to the 2018 tour to South Africa, where his side found themselves battling a major ball-tampering controversy which led to him facing a year-long ban from the sport. 

As Australia gears up for the Tests against South Africa away from home starting from October 9 at Durban, Steve, in an interview with CODE Sports, went back to one of the darkest chapters of his cricketing career, the 'Sandpapergate', which put a massive dent in his legacy as a leader and put Australia's 'win at all costs' mentality under a massive scanner. 

In the 2018 Ball-Tampering Scandal, also known as the 'Sandpaper Gate', Smith, vice-captain David Warner and batter Cameron Bancroft received heavy sanctions from Cricket Australia for their involvement in ball-tampering during the series against South Africa.

A leadership ban on Warner was among the sanctions imposed. Both Smith and Warner also were banned from international and domestic cricket for a year. After the visuals of Bancroft having a sandpaper in his hand surfaced, Smith addressed the Sydney media in a tearful press conference, taking responsibility for the scandal and apologising to the media.

Before that during the tour, as he was sent back home and stripped of his captaincy, he was captured by hundreds of cameramen as he went back home. While addressing a presser at Sydney, Smith broke down in tears, apologising for his involvement in the incident and for the harm it caused to Australian cricket and world cricket in general. 

Saying in the interview to CODE Sports, as quoted by FOX Cricket, 'I am not a big fan of cameras ... I get anxious around cameras, to be honest. 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,' he said. 

As Smith and Warner faced year-long bans and a young Cameron Bancroft was given a nine-month suspension, the image of the Australian team, known for their 'win at all costs' mentality, was seriously dented, and the team would at times face rough comments from fans gathered around at stadiums, with fans calling them 'cheats'. 

Smith recalled being informed about his banning and being mobbed by the media at Johannesburg before he flew back home for a highly emotional presser, calling it one of the toughest moments of his career.

'The 24-48 hours of being told by James Sutherland that I was getting banned for a year. That and going through the airport in Johannesburg getting absolutely mobbed, and then flying back and doing that press conference was my toughest moment," he said.

Since then, Smith has returned to South Africa as one of the finest Test batters of all time. In six Tests in SA, he has made 411 runs in 11 innings at an average of 41.10, with a century and two fifties, with a best score of 100. Overall against South Africa, he has made 933 runs in 23 innings at an average of 44.42, with two centuries and five fifties, with a best score of 104. (ANI)