South African cricket official assaults TV reporter attempting to interview Du Plessis

Tensions simmer as Proteas captain set to face disciplinary hearing on ball tampering charges

ADELAIDE: A security official travelling with the South African team shoved an Australian television reporter against a glass door in ugly scenes as he attempted to interview captain Faf du Plessis on Monday.

Du Plessis is due to face an International Cricket Council (ICC) disciplinary hearing on ball tampering charges arising from the second Test against Australia in Hobart last week, and tensions with media are simmering.

.@OfficialCSA captain @faf1307 has arrived with his team in Adelaide. https://t.co/jKZwY78dgo #AUSvSA #7News pic.twitter.com/aRU0XxBzje

— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) November 21, 2016

Nine Network reporter Will Crouch was aggressively pulled away from the skipper as the team arrived at Adelaide airport ahead of the third and final Test this week, footage showed.

Think this Proteas trainer has been watching too much NFL. Very aggressive pass-blocking as @WillCrouch9 tries to interview @faf1307 #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/SlAf4GgHDW

— nathan stitt (@nathanjstitt) November 21, 2016

Moments later, same staff member puts @WillCrouch9 into a glass door @abcgrandstand #ausvsa pic.twitter.com/euHszgRSfH

— nathan stitt (@nathanjstitt) November 21, 2016

The journalist pushed back before he was shouldered away and into the door by a man Australian media said was Proteas security chief Zunaid Wadee.

Du Plessis was wearing headphones at the time of the altercation and reporters said he gave a thumbs-up to cameras moments before Wadee clashed with Crouch, who was unharmed.



Veteran batsman Hashim Amla lashed out at the reporter.

Disappointed.. such provocative behaviour from reporters.Let a man walk in peace.Ask with manners n courtesy and u prob will get a response.

— hashim amla (@amlahash) November 21, 2016

Channel Nine said Wadee also had a run-in with one of its reporters in Melbourne over the weekend as he attempted to ask Du Plessis about the tampering issue.

The Proteas skipper allegedly had a sweet, or mint, in his mouth and rubbed saliva into the ball to get more swing during the Hobart match and is facing a one-match ban.

A hearing will be held by Andy Pycroft of the ICC match referees panel. The results will be announced in due course, the ICC said in a statement on Friday.

South Africa are chasing a first-ever series whitewash in Australia when they go into Thursday's pink ball Test in Adelaide.



South Africa complain of media ‘harassment’ at airport

South Africa have accused the Australian TV station of harassing Du Plessis after the physical confrontation.

A statement from team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee on Monday said the Australian media, and Channel 9 in particular, had been advised that Du Plessis could not comment on the matter until a hearing was held.

Moosajee said the South Africans were therefore disappointed that Channel 9 had "blatantly ignored" their "media protocol" both at the team hotel in Melbourne over the weekend and when the squad arrived at Adelaide airport.

"This is the third incident of a reporter aggressively harassing our players with blatant disrespect of the above-mentioned media protocol," he said in a statement.

"The 'reporter' at the airport disrespected us and continued to harass Faf for comment. The 'reporter' was also in the unusual position of being in the middle of the players' walkway to the bus.

"He was advised to move three times, and did not adhere to this request. The 'reporter', who also had no official accreditation, then proceeded to lunge towards Faf with an unknown object causing a direct breach of security protocol," he added.

TV pictures showed the "unknown object" to be the reporter's microphone, which was knocked out of his hand.

Additional input from Reuters