Australia batsman Cameron Bancroft has come up with a stunning revelation about the ball-tampering scandal from 2017 that brought disrepute to Australian cricket. As many as 3 players, including Bancroft, were banned for their involvement in the ball-tampering episode during the Newlands Test against South Africa in November 2017.
It was Bancroft who was caught on camera using sandpaper to scruff up the cricket ball that was being used for the Test match. Upon knowing that he has been caught on camera, Bancroft stuffed the sandpaper inside his underpants — a scene that caused harm to the reputation of Australian cricket.
Later Bancroft admitted to the offence and it emerged that David Warner had urged the opener to use sandpaper to tamper the ball. Australia’s then captain, Steve Smith was aware of the tactics but it emerged that he did nothing to stop it. The three players were handed one-year bans. Smith was barred from holding captaincy positions for 2 years while Warner has been banned from Australia captaincy for life.
As it turns out, Cameron Bancroft has hinted that the Australia bowlers were also aware that ball-tampering tactics were being employed during the Newlands Test.
“Yeah, look, all I wanted to do was to be responsible and accountable for my own actions and part.Yeah, obviously what I did benefits bowlers and the awareness around that, probably, is self-explanatory,” Bancroft told The Guardian.
The Australian bowling attack in the Newlands Test had included pacers Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh and spinner Nathan Lyon.
Bancroft, who is currently playing for Durham in the English County Championship, said he wanted to be “liked” by his teammates and in turn “lost control” of his values.
“I invested too much to the point where I lost control of my values. What had become important to me was being liked, being well valued, feeling really important to my teammates, like I was contributing something by using sandpaper on a cricket ball,” he said.
“That’s something I don’t think I even understood until that mistake happened. But it’s part of the journey and a hard lesson I needed to learn.”
