Steve Smith's 2019 Ashes Return Explained: Sandpapergate, 12-Month Ban, and 774 Runs
Steve Smith's return to Test cricket after the 2018 Cape Town ball-tampering ban — 774 Ashes runs in 2019 at 110.57 average (the most by any batsman in a single Ashes series since Bradman), the unorthodox batting technique, the bouncers England deployed against him, and how the return was the greatest comeback performance in modern cricket.
Steve Smith's 2019 Ashes series (England vs Australia, July-September 2019) produced 774 runs in 7 innings at average 110.57 — the most runs by any batsman in a single Ashes series since Don Bradman. The achievement was remarkable in isolation; in context — as the first Ashes series after Smith's 12-month ICC suspension for the 2018 Cape Town ball-tampering incident — it is one of cricket's most dramatic individual redemption narratives. Smith's 774 runs demonstrated not only that his ability was undiminished by the ban but that 12 months of net practice (banned from cricket entirely) had refined, rather than dulled, his technique.
The Sandpapergate Incident (2018)
Cape Town Test, March 24, 2018 (Australia vs South Africa, 3rd Test): Cameron Bancroft was caught on television deliberately scuffing the ball with a piece of sandpaper (yellow adhesive sandpaper, intended for ball-tampering to aid reverse swing). Bancroft initially claimed it was a sticky tape; television replays showed him placing something in his underwear after being approached by the umpire. Smith (captain) confirmed in a post-match press conference that the 'leadership group' had discussed a plan to alter the ball — implicating himself and vice-captain David Warner in the premeditation. The ICC sanctions: Smith and Warner — 12-month bans from international and domestic first-class cricket; Bancroft — 9-month ban. Smith resigned as captain; Darren Lehmann resigned as coach within days (Lehmann maintained he was unaware of the plan, a position scrutinised by commentators). The incident created the most significant reputational crisis in Australian cricket since the bodyline era and triggered a Culture Review commissioned by Cricket Australia.
The 2019 Ashes: 774 Runs and the Concussion Substitute
Steve Smith's 2019 Ashes innings: (1st Test, Edgbaston) 144 and 142; (2nd Test, Lord's) 92 — retired hurt after being struck on the neck by a Jofra Archer 92mph bouncer (concussion substitute Marnus Labuschagne replaced him — the first concussion substitute in Test history); (3rd Test, Headingley) did not bat due to concussion protocol; (4th Test, Old Trafford) 211 and 82; (5th Test, The Oval) 80 and 23. Total: 774 runs in 7 innings (one not out) at 110.57. England's strategy vs Smith: bowling specific lines — targeting his off stump with short-pitched bowling, then using Jofra Archer's pace to test his movement off the pull shot. The Lord's bouncer that hit Smith on the neck created the concussion-substitute protocol that was introduced to international cricket specifically because of that incident — an ICC rule change directly named by the Archer-Smith moment.
Career Records and the GOAT Debate
Steve Smith (born June 2, 1989, Sydney): 104 Tests, 9,116 runs at 57.68 average (as of late 2024). His Test average of 57+ is the highest by any active Test batsman and 4th-highest in history among batsmen with 4,000+ runs (behind Bradman 99.94, Graeme Pollock 60.97, and Herbert Sutcliffe 60.73 — though Adam Voges at 61.87 sits between Smith and Sutcliffe numerically). Smith's average survived the Sandpapergate ban, the 2019 Ashes (where it rose dramatically), and the 2021 Ashes (he averaged 67 in the home Ashes). The greatest batsman debate in the modern era typically resolves to: Smith vs Kohli, with Smith's Test average (57+) significantly higher than Kohli's (approximately 48-49 through 2024); Kohli's ODI record (comparable century count to Tendulkar) is stronger than Smith's limited-overs game.
Frequently asked questions
Why was Steve Smith banned from cricket?
Steve Smith was banned from international and domestic first-class cricket for 12 months (March 2018 to March 2019) after the Cape Town ball-tampering incident (Sandpapergate). In the 3rd Test vs South Africa (Cape Town, March 2018), Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera deliberately scuffing the ball with sandpaper. Smith admitted in a post-match conference that the 'leadership group' had discussed the plan to tamper with the ball — constituting premeditated cheating. Smith and David Warner received 12-month bans; Bancroft received 9 months. The ICC later added a leadership ban (preventing Smith from returning as captain for 2 years after reinstatement).
How many Ashes runs did Steve Smith score in 2019?
Steve Smith scored 774 runs in the 2019 Ashes (England vs Australia, July-September 2019) in 7 innings at average 110.57 — the most by any batsman in a single Ashes series since Don Bradman's 1930 and 1936-37 records. His innings: 144 and 142 (Edgbaston); 92 (Lord's — retired hurt from a Jofra Archer bouncer concussion); 211 and 82 (Old Trafford); 80 and 23 (The Oval). Australia drew the series 2-2 — retaining the Ashes (as defending holders). Smith won Player of the Series by a large margin.
What is the first concussion substitute in Test cricket?
The first concussion substitute in Test cricket history: Marnus Labuschagne replaced Steve Smith at Lord's (2nd Ashes Test, August 2019) after Smith was struck on the neck by a Jofra Archer 92mph short-pitched delivery and was unable to return to bat in the innings due to concussion protocol. Labuschagne, as like-for-like replacement, was permitted to bat in Smith's position. He subsequently scored 80 in that innings. The concussion substitute law was added to the ICC's playing conditions specifically after this incident — cricket's rules evolved from one match event.