Australian captain and star batsman Steve Smith has sounded a warning to the Proteas that he doesn’t get bothered by South African players sledging him; so they can go all out on him, if they wish to sledge him during the upcoming four Test series.

“I might be able to tell you more after the first Test match, but if they do, go for it, it doesn’t bother me. A bit of a verbal challenge actually makes me switch on a bit more and gets me in for the fight. So they can go for their lives,” Smith said to reporters on eve of the first Test.

“I don’t really like to think too much about what gets them going. I prefer to think about what gets either myself or us going, and if that’s getting into a contest like that, then go for it,” he added.

South Africa might want to check the results of the recent Ashes series in which England were routed 4-0, as Steve Smith amassed 687 runs with a career best 239. English players had sledged the Australian captain relentlessly and it resulted in Smith scoring some big runs against them.

The first Test between South Africa and Australia begins on Thursday at Kingsmead, Durban.