Smith was set for ultimate shot at redemption... but bizarre issue brought a great’s warning to life

Steve Smith’s return to South Africa for a Test series for the first time since Sandpapergate in 2018 came to a bizarre end with the neck issue he sustained in Gqeberha ruling him out of the deciding third Test in Cape Town.

Newlands was the scene of Australia’s sandpaper crime eight years ago, and once again the picturesque venue was a heartbreaker for Smith.

Watch Australia’s Tour of South Africa Live & Exclusive on Fox Cricket, available on Kayo Sports | Don’t miss the Summer of the Century. Get 50% off Kayo Premium for 6 months. Min cost $23 for 1 month. New & returning customers only. Offer ends 31 Oct 2026. Sign up today.

Commentator Mark Howard broke the news to the Australian public that Smith would miss the Test in a live cross with Kayo Sports from the middle roughly 20 minutes before the toss of the coin.

It brought to an end an usual sequence of events as the tourists tried desperately to get Smith ready for the ultimate shot at redemption with the series level at 1-1.

It felt like the sort of scenario that would have got the best out of Australia’s champion batter, who surpassed 11,000 Test runs in the previous Test.

Smith has a knack for scoring hundreds with the team needs it most, but he was in great discomfort during a net session on Monday.

Vision from cricket.com.au’s Josh Schönafinger showed a sore Smith repeatedly kicking out in frustration after he played a pull shot off a throwdown.

He then quickly packed up his gear - including a wide assortment of bats - in an abrupt end to the practice session.

The Australians tried again on the first morning of the Test match, but to no avail.

Smith was in the nets approximately 75 minutes before the toss and was sporting a patch of some kind on his neck.

His attempt to bat was clearly unsuccessful and about 40 minutes later, Smith was seen wearing runners on the ground as Josh Inglis warmed up with the rest of the Australian XI.

“Just chatting, there was no particular incident in the last Test where he remembered anything actually happening to his neck, but he struggled the last few days,” Howard said on Kayo Sports.

“Obviously a massive story....he had some medical treatment this morning, and he actually said it probably made it worse.

“So no Steve Smith for the Test match.”

Unfortunately, for the 37-year-old missing a Test every now then has become a little more common than he would like.

A bout of vertigo resulted in Smith missing last summer’s Adelaide Test in similar circumstances.

He also missed the first Test of last year’s tour of the West Indies after breaking a finger in the World Test Championship final.

Concerningly for Australia, Father Time is perhaps catching up with Smith - as former Australian leg spinner Kerry O’Keeffe warned of during the second Test.

“He’s been hit a few times, Steve Smith, and it’s going to take its toll,” O’Keeffe said on Kayo Sports.

“He’s now in the veteran class, Smudger, so the more you keep getting hit and the more you keep getting little injuries like this, it’ll play on you.”

In the same conversation, Smith’s old teammate Usman Khawaja revealed that he has been “very susceptible” ever since he was concussed after being hit by a Jofra Archer bouncer at Lord’s in the 2019 Ashes.

While another former teammate of Smith’s David Warner and Australian great Mark Waugh believe Smith’s neck issue must be quite severe to keep him out a series deciding Test match.

“Steve Smith, for a big game as it is, he would have tried to get up as best he could,” Warner said.

“Now he can’t identify what happened, when it happened, but you know, I think if you can’t walk, you get out there.

“Half of Steve Smith is a very, very good player.

“Obviously, he’s in some discomfort and if you can’t come out and perform at your 100%, and which he will want to give, especially given it’s a it’s a one all series, it’s a big Test match.

“It’s obviously a big thing for him.”

Waugh added: “Geez, it must be bad not to play. It must.

“ I mean, we don’t know how bad it is.

“Obviously, it’s got to be restricting his movement big time otherwise you’d play with some painkillers.

“But if you can’t move, I guess you can’t get in the right positions. It’s going to affect your batting.”