Proteas superstar Hashim Amla says he’s got some sympathy for the skelm Aussies.
But that won’t stop Amla and his teammates from trying to rub some more salt into the wounds of their visitors by winning the fourth and final Test at the Wanderers.
Heading into the match, South Africa have an unassailable 2-1 series lead.
Once again, though, the pre-match build-up has been rocked by an off-field scandal.
This time Australia will take the field without captain Steve Smith, vice captain Dave Warner and Cameron Bancroft after the trio has been found guilty of ball tampering in the third Test at Newlands last week.
Of the incident, Amla says: “At the particular moment, you’re like okay - there’s a lot of cameras around and for that to happen then and there is a sad moment for international cricket.
“But there is no holier-than-thou attitude that anyone comes with.
“Everyone makes mistakes in their lives.
“And you learn from the mistake and move on.
“Yes, I do have some sympathy for all the guys who are under the pump now. You don’t wish difficulty on any human being in the world.”
He adds: “But we’re at the next Test venue [and now] it’s all about cricket.”