Steve Smith, a prominent Australian cricketer, has spoken about how the events surrounding the 'sandpapergate' ball-tampering scandal in 2018 still affect him. During that scandal, Smith and two teammates were sent home from a Test series in South Africa after it was revealed that Cameron Bancroft had used sandpaper to alter the condition of the cricket ball. The incident sparked widespread controversy and led to severe consequences for the players involved. Smith, who was the team captain at the time, admitted he had knowledge of the tampering, leading to his removal as captain and a one-year ban from cricket. The incident was emotionally distressing for Smith, who later described the experience as traumatic. In a recent interview with News Corp, Smith mentioned that he still has occasional flashbacks related to the scandal. He explained that the experience of being banned and facing intense media scrutiny had a lasting impact on him. "I'm not a big fan of cameras, I get anxious around cameras," he said. "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." At the time, Smith was mobbed by media and fans at Johannesburg airport and faced intense public scrutiny upon his return to Australia. He described feeling "thrown to the wolves" without any support during that period. Despite the challenges, Smith has since bounced back in his cricket career. He returned to the Australian team in 2019 and regained his status as one of the world's top batters. After serving a two-year leadership ban, he was named vice-captain for the 2021-22 Ashes series and has taken on the captaincy when needed. Smith acknowledged the difficult period but said he has learned from the experience and moved forward. "I've tried to kind of erase a lot of 2018 and what happened," he said. "I can't remember a lot about the series. I've tried to block most of it out of my memory bank." As Australia prepares to play its first Test series in South Africa since the scandal, Smith has faced hostile crowds in various parts of his career, including during Ashes tours in England. He has learned to use such experiences as motivation to perform better on the field. The three-Test series between Australia and South Africa will begin in Durban on 9 October, marking a new chapter in Smith's career and for the team as they face the same country where the 'sandpapergate' scandal first unfolded.