Cricket: Australia skipper Steve Smith wants energy over hostility against South Africa

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Cricket: Australia skipper Steve Smith wants energy over hostility against South Africa

Updated

Steve Smith has tempered expectations of a particularly hostile Test series between Australia and South Africa, calling on his side to be sensible with their sledging.

There was clear ill-feeling between the two teams earlier this month during a one-day series, when South Africa spinners Imran Tahir and Tabraiz Shamsi and Australia keeper Matthew Wade were all fined.

Steve Smith.

Steve Smith.Credit: Getty Images

Australia paceman Peter Siddle and South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis then fired a couple of verbal barbs in the press.

But Smith has offered an olive branch of sorts, agreeing with rival skipper du Plessis that both sides will let their cricket do the talking throughout the three Tests.

"The things I said about Sri Lanka were more about us having some more energy and presence in the field," the 27-year-old told the Cricket Australia website.

"It's not about getting in their face and sledging them or that kind of thing.

"It's about making sure that our attitude's right and that we have that presence out on the field so if we get a half-chance that we're in a frame of mind to be ready to take it.

"I don't think it's anything about hostility and sledging as such."

However, Smith conceded there would be "a bit of chat" during the contests in Perth, Hobart and Adelaide.

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"Each individual is different and I think aggressive means different things to different people," the gifted batsman said.

"Some people might need to get into a contest with a bowler verbally.

"Others might just need to puff their chest out a little bit or just have really good body language out on the field."

Meanwhile, South African batsman JP Duminy says his team have been gifted a perfect preparation for the looming Test series.

The South Africans open their tour on Saturday and Sunday with a pink-ball fixture against a Cricket Australia XI at Adelaide Oval.

Next week, the tourists play another two-day match in Adelaide before travelling to Perth for the first Test starting on November 3.

Duminy said the two practice games, and net trainings in between, were ideal preparation for the three-Test series.

"It's the best we have had on any tour, to be honest," he said.

"I can't recall this amount of time before a Test match on any tour.

"So I think this is the best preparation we are going to have in terms of the schedule that we have for the season, so we're pretty happy with it."

The Proteas will face a CA XI featuring players all aged 22 or under.

And Duminy said the callow opposition was largely irrelevant to the Proteas.

"It doesn't matter who the opposition is. For us it's about adapting to the conditions and finding confidence," he said.

"You could be playing against the best opposition in a warm-up game, score runs, but still not be able to score in a Test match, so I'm not reading too much into who we are playing against."

AAP

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