Steve Smith Breaks Down During Press Conference After Ball-Tampering Scandal

"It hurts ... I'm deeply sorry. I love the game of cricket. I love entertaining young kids ... I just want to say sorry for the pain I've brought to Australia, to the fans and the public," the top order batsman added.

New Delhi, March 29: Caught cheating in the third Test against South Africa, sacked and banned Australia Captain Steve Smith broke down during a press conference held at Sydney on Thursday after his arrival to his homeland.

“To all of my teammates, to fans of cricket all over the world and to all Australians who are disappointed and angry. I’m sorry,” Steve Smith said.

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#WATCH Steve Smith says, ‘there was a failure of leadership, of my leadership’, breaks down as he addresses the media in Sydney. #BallTamperingRow pic.twitter.com/hXKB4e7DR2

— ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2018

“I take full responsibility … There was a failure of leadership, of my leadership. I’ll do everything I can to make up for my mistake and the damage it’s caused. If any good can come of this, if there can be a lesson to others then I hope I can be a force for change. I know I’ll regret this for the rest of my life. I’m absolutely gutted. I hope in time I can earn back respect and forgiveness.

“It hurts … I’m deeply sorry. I love the game of cricket. I love entertaining young kids … I just want to say sorry for the pain I’ve brought to Australia, to the fans and the public,” the top order batsman added.

Earlier, Smith was heckled in South Africa while he was boarding his flight back to Sydney following the one year ban imposed by Cricket Australia on him and ‘chief plotter’ David Warner in the ball tampering scandal.