Philander makes comments against Smith, then retracts

Vernon Philander has turned the heat up another notch in South Africa's acrimonious series against Australia by saying visiting captain Steve Smith could have avoided an incident that resulted in Kagiso Rabada being suspended.

The 22-year-old, who took 11 wickets in the match, has appealed the decision.

Philander said Smith was equally guilty and had milked the incident.

"Haven't really seen the footage of this incident but by the looks of this ... Steve Smith gave KG (Rabada) the shoulder," he wrote on his Twitter account, with a video clip of the incident.

"He could have avoided any contact but to me he is just as guilty. Trying some football skills to get a penalty??? Pity he didn't dive to top it off."

Philander, then, possibly fearing a backlash apologised for the Tweet, stating his handle was ‘hacked’.

“Good morning all my tweeps. Waking up this morning to alot of twitter craziness as my acc got hacked and someone posted a nice little article on my behalf. Sorry for all the drama or entertainment caused by the looks of it. Have a great day all,” he tweeted.

Fast bowler Rabada made contact with Smith's shoulder after dismissing him in the first innings of their six-wicket victory in Port Elizabeth.

He was later found guilty of "inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a player" by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and will miss the rest of the four-match series.

The shoulder bump between Rabada and Smith was not the only incident in the match as the fired-up fast bowler also gave opening batsman David Warner a verbal send-off.

In the first Test in Durban, security cameras captured a heated argument between Warner and South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock after the teams left the field for tea on the fourth day.

Warner said the wicketkeeper had made "vile and disgusting" comments about his wife.

Warner was fined 75 percent of his match fee, while de Kock was fined 25 percent. Both were given demerit points.

Rabada was given three demerit points for the shoulder bump in Port Elizabeth, taking him to eight within a two-year period, which triggered an automatic two-match suspension. He was also given another demerit point for the Warner send-off.

The third match starts in Cape Town on March 22.

IMAGE: Vernon Philander appeals successfully for LBW to dimiss Australia's Mitchell Marsh (File Image)

Photograph: David Gray/Reuters