Faf du Plessis Braced For Hostile Reception In Australia

South Africa Faf du Plessis, on Tuesday, said he is expecting a hostile reception when he leads his team in Australia.

When it comes to playing in Australia and facing their famous hostile fans, Faf du Plessis is not a stranger at all. He has has seen it all in Australia as well as against the team from Down Under away from home.

It will be South Africa’s first trip there since the ball-tampering scandal earlier this year. In the wake of the scandal, Cricket Australia had banned their skipper Steve Smith, and batsmen David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. The Australian team had also bemoaned the treatment they received from South African supporters during that Test tour. And Du Plessis is well aware that his team is likely to face a backlash in Australia. The Proteas skipper said he is well braced up for the tour where life can become tough not only on the field but also off it.

“Australia is our favourite team to play against, all the stuff that comes with playing them, on and off the field, I love that and I feel that it brings the best out of us as a team and even us as South Africans; we love that fiery competition,” du Plessis said on Tuesday (October 23).

“It will be nice and hostile. The last two tours, home and away, it’s certainly been very entertaining off the field. We are not expecting anything less. Zunaid our security officer has been working hard in the gym; he’s prepared for whatever lies ahead. It is a bit of a poker game as well. We expect them to try and unsettle us as a team when it comes to the media space, obviously with myself being at the forefront of it, but we see it as part and parcel of touring Australia.

“It’s definitely not an easy place to travel. The crowds do play their part. They’re like a 12th man. Your mental capabilities and strength are just as important as your skills. For a lot of the new guys, it will be the first time where they field on the boundary and they hear just how good they are as human beings. That will be a new thing for them. You don’t get much of that anywhere else in the world anymore; it (Australia) is the one place where you still feel like the crowd gets on top and really behind the home team,” he added.

The infamous ball-tampering scandal of 2016 will also be famous in everyone’s mind. During the Hobart Test against Australia, television footage had caught Du Plessis applying saliva onto the ball that had residue of mint on it. The on-field umpires had not charged him, but following the release of the footage, he was found guilty and fined 100% of his match fee.

Meanwhile, South Africa will be less on experience when they fly out to Australia. Two of their most experienced players Hashim Amla and JP Duminy are missing the series due to injury. That, however, gives the think-tank an opportunity to look at other options ahead of the 2019 World Cup in case the need arises.

Speaking on the injuries, Du Plessis said:

“We were looking to fine-tune our balance a little bit more in this series, but then the JP injury is a big one for us, because he is a two-in-one player and we don’t have a lot of them. So now you’re almost looking at two players instead of one in his place, so there are a few more new faces than anticipated for this series.”

While Duminy’s absence does change the dynamic of the squad a bit, South Africa won’t be complaining much with a fit-again Chris Morris raring to go. In Duminy’s absence, Morris will be key to providing the team with the much-needed balance.

“He’s got so much X-factor as a white-ball cricketer, and this is an important tour for him to make sure he starts getting it right in terms of consistency. We know, on his day, he’s as good as any player in the world. Something that’s always been important for him is that a confident Morris is a very good cricketer, and he’ll have some confidence from his (domestic) performances. Fitness-wise, I hear he’s been working really hard,” du Plessis said.

South Africa start their tour with a warm-up game against the Prime Minister’s XI on October 31 before playing the three ODIs in Perth, Adelaide and Hobart. The two sides will then face off in Queensland on November 17 for the solitary T20I.