South African team security manhandles Australian journalist in Adelaide airport
South African skipper Faf du Plessis' accusation with ball tampering in the second Test against the Australian side took an ugly turn on Monday morning as a Proteas team security personnel manhandled an Australian journalist in the Adelaide airport.
Watch how the journalist was pushed away by the South African team security in the video below which was posted by Cricket Network on their Facebook page.
The South African security Zunaid Wadee violently pushing a television reporter up against a window. The journalist was pushed by the security staff for trying to interview captain Faf du Plessis regarding the ball tampering issue. The Channel Nine news reporter, Will Crouch, had his microphone knocked out of his hand and kicked along the ground and was ultimately pinned into a sliding door window by the security staff Wadee.
However, reports from several Australian tabloids suggest that this wasn't the first instance. The Cricket Australia website stated that there was a similar incident yesterday where another Channel Nine journalist, Corey Norris, was manhandled in a heated conversation with Wadee after he also tried to have an interview with du Plessis regarding the controversial ball tampering issue.
Also read: Faf du Plessis caught shining the ball with mint saliva in the second Test against Australia
However, Hashim Amla, was quick to defend the actions of the South African security staff and took to his Twitter handle to show his support. He said that the journalist should have been a bit more respectful in his approach.
Du Plessis has been charged with ball tampering by the ICC for allegedly using a mint or lolly to get more swing on the ball during the second Test in Hobart. The ICC, having thoroughly gone through the videos, decided to charge the right-hander with a level 2 offence.
Also read: Faf du Plessis charged by the ICC over ball tampering allegations
All level 2 breaches carry an imposition of a fine between 50 per cent to 100 per cent of the applicable match fee and/or up to two suspension points, and three or four demerit points. And there is also a possibility of the player being banned for one match. However, du Plessis had pleaded not guilty and was looking for legal advice to appeal against the charge.
But, in what may come as a shock to some of the Australians, the South African team stated on Monday that it would be impossible to land the defence lawyer in time. This will mean that the hearing will be delayed which in turn will allow the stand-in skipper du Plessis to play the third and final Test against the Aussies in Adelaide which is scheduled to start on the 24th of November.