Steve Smith has read the jokes, absorbed the abuse and trawled for trolls; insisting it will only serve as motivation in the third Test.
Smith has copped it on social media since the second Test in Port Elizabeth, with many locals suggesting the Australian exaggerated contact with Kagiso Rabada in an effort to have South Africa's spearhead suspended.
Last week's forthright tweet from Vernon Philander's account, supposedly the work of a hacker, kept the fire burning.
Smith then enhanced his status as Public Enemy No.1 on Wednesday, wondering why he wasn't asked to give evidence at Rabada's successful appeal and noting the fired-up paceman "bumped me a little bit harder than it actually looked on the footage".
The four-Test series resumes at 7.30pm AEDT on Thursday, with the skipper searching for his first big score in a series locked at 1-1.
Smith, who has no regrets about offering his opinion about the sport's judicial process, won't be switching off social media as he prepares to confront Rabada in Cape Town.
"I don't. I read everything. I know everything that's going on. It doesn't bother me," Smith said.
"If people are having a go at me I use that as motivation.
"If they're talking nice things about me than that's nice too, either way it doesn't matter to me. I just go out and try to do what I need to do."
Smith last month floated the idea of baiting Rabada, who has seven demerit points on his disciplinary record and will be given a two-Test ban if he slips up again, but noted on Wednesday that won't happen.
"Not at all. If he wants to carry on and make mistakes, so be it," Smith said.
"We'll speak out in the middle, we won't do anything to antagonise him to make the mistakes that he's (made). That's up to him if he wants to make those errors.
"I saw Faf (du Plessis) mention before the start of the last Test match they might try and bait (David Warner).
'If they want to play like that then go for it. We certainly won't be doing the same thing with Rabada."
Smith, who has produced scores of 56, 38, 25 and 11 in the current series, is upbeat he will soon reproduce the sort of form that led to him being named man of the series in the recent Ashes.
"I feel really good, my hit today was the best for six months," the world's top-ranked batsman said.
"I"m feeling good and fresh after a week break before training, in a good place."
