‘Sandpapergate’ overshadowed historic achievements by Proteas greats

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Among the regrettable aspects of the infamous “Sandpaper” series was how some notable achievements from the Proteas in those four matches were forgotten.

“It is really sad the sandpaper incident overshadowed a lot of great cricket that took place in that series,” said Vernon Philander, who claimed his 200th Test wicket in the last match against Australia at the Wanderers in 2018.

“I was disappointed. The sandpaper incident took over from Morne [Morkel] taking his 300th Test wicket at Newlands. There were outstanding performances from Aiden [Markram] and AB [De Villiers’] fantastic knock to bounce back in that second Test.”

It was a historic series triumph for South Africa, in that it was the first on home soil against Australia post-isolation.

Markram was the top run-scorer, notching up two centuries, one half-century and finishing with a series aggregate of 480 runs. De Villiers passed 50 in five of his eight innings in that series, turning one of those into a hundred at St George’s Park, which he has acknowledged as one of the finest displays of his career.

Shaun Marsh’s dismissal in Australia’s first innings at Newlands made Morkel only the fifth South African bowler to take 300 wickets. In the next match, Philander in the midst of a stunning second innings spell, in which he took 6/21, claimed his 200th Test wicket.

Both Morkel and De Villiers retired after that series.

“Morne was a real stalwart of South African cricket and taking 300 wickets is a moment you cherish. As a team, we celebrated those moments,” Philander said.

“Even with all the [outside] noise, as a team we celebrated Morne’s 300, my 200 at the Wanderers. Those are moments you play for and for us it didn’t go by unnoticed but in the greater scheme of things, for the public, unfortunately ‘sandpapergate’ overshadowed those achievements.”

Ahead of the first Test series between the teams in South Africa since 2018, the coaches and players from both teams have sought to douse any lingering ill-feeling.

All four of the Australian bowlers who would have benefited from the decision to rub the ball with sandpaper to aid reverse swing eight years ago are expected to start the first Test in Durban on Friday.

Pat Cummins, their captain, said they’ve moved on and whatever South African supporters try to remind them about won’t be any worse than what they endured on the Ashes tour in 2019, when Steve Smith made his return to Test cricket after a one-year ban for his part in the 2018 controversy.

Markram, Temba Bavuma, Keshav Maharaj and, if he starts, Kagiso Rabada are the South African players who were in the cauldron eight years ago. Rabada took 11 wickets in the second Test, but was banned by the ICC after brushing shoulders with Smith in that same match. That decision was subsequently overturned before the Newlands Test and was reportedly one of the factors that drove Australia over the edge.

“There will be fans who haven’t forgotten, but quite a few would have moved on and understood that things look a lot different now than back then,” Markram said.

It was certainly a contentious series. Australia had taken great pride they hadn’t lost a Test series in South Africa after 1990. They’d also been scarred by the Proteas having won three Tests series in a row in Australia between 2008 and 2016, something only the great West Indies side of the 1980s had done.

It caused what Philander said was a different feel about the Australian team in the first Test.

As cricketers there is respect for the opposition, respect for the game and for each other in the change room.

— Shukri Conrad

“Their guys chirp, that’s fine, it’s part of the game, but the extent to which they went [in 2018], it was a different level of desperation. I’m not sure if that got the better of them.”

With so much anticipation around the series, Proteas coach Shukri Conrad has called for local fans to be partisan in their support, but to show the Australians respect.

“Respect sits at the heart of everything we do. As cricketers there is respect for the opposition, respect for the game and for each other in the change room. How would I like our fans to be? I’d like our fans to get firmly behind us and for the fans to give them some stick, but respectfully so,” Conrad said.

“If there are hardware stores at the gate welcoming the Aussies, I don’t think that’s disrespectful. That’s quite smart and they need to be reminded of some of their misdemeanours. They did what they did and they have to own it and deal with it.

“From a team perspective we don’t give it any attention, but from the fans, ja, I’d like nothing more than for our fans to get firmly behind us and do it respectfully when they do, give the opposition a bit of grief.”

It adds intrigue to a series between the top two Test teams in the world, where it is hoped that what happens on the field — legally — will dominate and live long in the memory.