Cape Town [South Africa], Mar 30 (NT): The Proteas cricket team captain Faf du Plessis said that he suspected the Australians may have been engaging in ball-tampering practices prior to the third Test in Cape Town as ANI reported.

According to cricket.com.au, on being asking if he suspected the Australians had been resorting to tempering the ball prior to the third test, du Plessis said, "I thought so, yes".

"The series the ball has been reversing quite a bit. I joked about it this last Test match, (saying) I've never seen so many guys put up their hand to open the batting," he added.

Conversely, the South African skipper Plessis, who himself has been charged twice in the past with ball tampering, said he feels apologetic for Steve Smith, who has been banned for 12 months for orchestrating the ball-tampering incident during the third Test in Cape Town.

Following huge uproar by Australian crowd including PM , Smith and Vice-captain David Warner were banned for 12 months by the Cricket Australia for their leadership role in the ball tampering act, while Cameroon Bancroft was banned for nine months.

Talking further about the Australian captain, Plessis said that Smith was "one of the good guys" he knew.

"I think he is one of the good guys and he's just been caught in a bad place," the 33-year-old said.

Worth mentioning here South Africa will play Australia in the last match of the four-match Test series at Wanderers on Friday.