AUSTRALIANS rushed to the defence of South Africa captain and ball-tamperer Faf du Plessis yesterday, with Baggy Greens skipper Steve Smith saying his men shine the ball the same way.

Du Plessis was sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday after an incident in his side’s win over Australia in the second Test at Hobart last week, where television footage appeared to show him “applying saliva and residue from a mint or sweet, an artificial substance, to the ball in an attempt to change its condition.”

But Smith insisted yesterday: “Every team around the world shines the cricket ball.”

Both captains have pointed out that the ball-tampering allegation did not come from the Australia team.

Du Plessis escaped a ban, instead being fined his match fee, and will lead the Proteas in the third Test in Adelaide later this week, where his team are chasing a 3-0 series whitewash.

However, he remains irked by the ICC’s decision, which was delivered by match referee Andy Pycroft.

“I still completely disagree with that,” he said. “I feel like I’ve done nothing wrong. It’s not like I was trying to cheat or anything.”

Du Plessis called for the sport’s officials to clarify a problematic “grey area.”

It’s not the first time Du Plessis has been in trouble for tampering, having been caught on camera in Dubai in 2013 scratching the ball with his trouser zip.

The South Africans insisted then too that they weren’t cheats, despite Vernon Philander also scratching the ball with his fingers — something he was fined for a year later.

After that incident Australian Test batsman David Warner commented that the South Africans appeared to make a habit of manipulating the ball’s condition — remarks that got him fined by the ICC.