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Cape Town - Last Friday, a jet-lagged Dale Steyn had just returned from Australia to attend the launch of the Mzansi Super League (MSL) in Cape Town.
Steyn had just landed back in South Africa having been in Australia with the Proteas, helping them secure a valuable 2-1 ODI series win as preparations for next year's Cricket World Cup roll on.
"It was one of my more pleasant tours to Australia," Steyn said.
Since the Australian ball-tampering scandal that rocked world cricket earlier this year and resulted in the bans of skipper Steve Smith, star batsman David Warner and rookie Cameron Bancroft, Australian cricket has been on the ropes in a desperate attempt to recover.
The result has been an on-field approach that is far less hostile than what we have come to expect from Aussie sides in recent times.
"They were tame, but if you go to Australia you can sense why," skipper Faf du Plessis said on his return to South Africa on Monday.
"It's difficult to explain the hurt that Australian cricket is going through if you're not there. The public is angry at what happened and Cricket Australia has been firm in the sanctions they handed down.
"There were a lot of people asking for them to change them (the sanctions), but they've remained firm because they can see how much it impacted on the supporters. They were genuinely hurt."
Warner and Smith were both banned for a year each while Bancroft copped 9 months.
The aftermath of one of the darkest days in Australia cricket saw coach Darren Lehmann step down, while Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland also resigned.
Now, under the leadership of new coach Justin Langer, the Aussies are trying to be more positive on the field in an attempt to win back public trust.
"You understand why they want to play a different brand of cricket because there are a lot of eyes on them," Du Plessis said.
But, at the end of the day, Australia will always be Australia and Du Plessis revealed that there was still a fair amount of light-hearted banter from the crowds.
"You always get chirps when you go to Australia. That's the beauty of playing there," he said.
"You feel that energy in the crowd. At most changerooms you have to walk through the crowd to get to the pitch so as you walk down you hear a few 'good mornings'."
