"He was a bully, I don't have time for bullies" - Faf du Plessis on David Warner
Former South African captain Faf du Plessis has described Australian opener David Warner as a 'bully'. The right-handed batter recalled how the Aussies tried to bully his side in the entire first Test of the 2018 series and hailed the Proteas for giving an apt reply with a series victory.
Warner was the mastermind behind the ball-tampering saga in that infamous four-match Test series held in South Africa. The dynamic left-handed batter provoked his opening partner Cameron Bancroft to use sandpaper to tamper with the red cherry to gain reverse swing. Consequently, Warner and then-captain Steve Smith copped a year-long ban, while Cameron Bancroft faced a nine-month ban.
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Speaking about Warner, Du Plessis told the BBC:
"He was a bully. I don't have time for bullies."
He continued:
"Australia wanted to bully us. We had to stand up for ourselves. They abused us that whole game but the way we fought back turned the series around."
Warner also indulged in an ugly fight with the Proteas' keeper-batter Quinton de Kock following Australia's 118-run victory in the first Test of that series in Durban. The ICC concluded that Warner had breached Level 1 of the ICC's Code of Conduct and was thus fined 75 percent of his match fee. In contrast, De Kock was fined 50 percent of his match fee.
The hosts clinched the four-match series by 3-1 despite losing the first Test.
"The New Zealand players were all over me" - Faf du Plessis on South Africa's loss in 2011 World Cup quarter-final
Du Plessis recalled South Africa's shocking 49-run loss to New Zealand in the quarter-finals of the 2011 World Cup, stating that he was under siege from the opposition.
He revealed:
"When that happens, your whole world stops. You're hit with this wave of pressure. It's like, 'Oh no, what's happening? What will the fans think? What will the media say?' You start worrying about the past and the future and forget the present.
"The New Zealand players were all over me. They started calling me a choker. I held a lot of resentment towards them for a long time."
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South Africa were one of the chief contenders to lift the trophy in 2011, having topped the group stage with five wins in six games. They were also favorites to defeat the Black Caps and were cruising in the chase. However, a mix-up between Du Plessis and the well-set Ab de Villiers saw the latter get run out, which completely derailed the chase. The Proteas ultimately lost by 49 runs.