Steyn, Rabada fire up over Faf 'mintgate'

Injured South African paceman Dale Steyn has fired up on social media over the "mintgate" controversy that has engulfed his skipper Faf du Plessis.

A serious shoulder injury has not stopped South African quick Dale Steyn from coming come out swinging over the "mintgate" controversy ahead of the third Test against Australia in Adelaide.

And young Proteas speedster Kagiso Rabada also could not resist a social media bumper after mint-chomping captain Faf du Plessis was charged with ball tampering.

Steyn won't be bowling for some time due to the fractured shoulder he is nursing in South Africa.

But the Proteas firebrand still managed to keep Australia honest with a scathing tweet.

"Beaten with the bat. Beaten with the ball. Beaten in the field. Mentally stronger," Steyn posted.

"Here's a idea, Let's blame it on a lollipop?? #soft."

But Steyn quickly took a back step.

"Just so we clear, I'm not blaming the aussies," he later tweeted.

"But I won't let a fantastic series win be tarnished by some lollipop fabrication. 3-0 mission."

Rabada didn't make any apologies after his social media spray.

"Excuse - Seek to lessen the blame attaching to ( a fault or offence ); try to justify. #responsibility lack there of..," he tweeted.

The ICC on Friday confirmed the charge against du Plessis after video emerged of him shining the ball with saliva while a mint was in his mouth during the second Test thumping of Australia in Hobart.

He has pleaded not guilty but the ICC are yet to confirm when du Plessis will front match referee Andy Pycroft.

The ICC laid the charge not long after Proteas veteran Hashim Amla had mocked the allegation in front of Australian media as "ridiculous".

Before the charge was announced, Amla stood in front of his teammates at a Melbourne media conference and strongly defended du Plessis.

"The reason everyone is here is to stand together, really, and to show solidarity to something we thought was actually a joke," Amla said as du Plessis stood to one side.

"It's not April, but the allegation against Faf was a really ridiculous thing.

"To a lot of people, it's sounding more like sour sweets."


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Source: AAP



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