Last Updated on 4 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey
Allan Border has warned that taunting Steve Smith could have an adverse effect in the upcoming Test series between South Africa and Australia.
Australia will play a Test series in the Rainbow Nation for the first time since Sandpapergate in 2018, and the passionate South African crowds are expected to give the visitors a hostile reception.
South Africa fans taunting Steve Smith could work in our favour – Allan Border
However, it’s something Australia – and Smith in particular – should be accustomed to. England fans have not stopped short in taunting Smith over the years, but it’s often backfired.
Faced with boos and taunts on his return in 2019, Smith finished with 774 runs in that Ashes series at an average of 110.57. Even in the SCG Test of 2026, Smith walked out to boos from the Barmy Army before peeling off a superb 138 off 220 balls.
The reception is expected to be the same in South Africa. Former Proteas batsman Gary Kirsten told CricBlog “it will be a hot reception from the fans,” but Border believes it could work in Australia’s favour.
“It’ll be the media and the crowds who might try and rehash things and cause the Aussies some unsettling moments. They’ll try and sort of put us off our game, no doubt,” Border said, as quoted by CODE Sports.
“From the players’ point of view, move on. Smith will be the same. Yeah, he’ll just be doing his thing. If if they try and fire Smithy up by taunts, that might be something that works in our favour very well.
“It can work the other way too. The taunts can make you as a group, regroup and just really fight as a team a lot better than you know actually if nothing’s said at all.”
Smith, who averages 56, is just 80 away from 11,000 Test runs. He looked in good touch during the recent series against Bangladesh, making scores of 71, 44 and 42, of which he will be looking to build on in South Africa.
