Cameron Bancroft (left) and Australian Captain of the time Steve Smith in a dejected mood addressing the media after the disgraceful 2018 illegal ball-tampering scandal in Newlands, South Africa which later became known as the “Sandpaper-gate”[/caption]
Cricket Australia (CA) says anyone with new evidence related to the Cape Town ball-tampering saga in 2018 should present their information to the governing body.
Former Test opener Cameron Bancroft has reignited discussion about the scandal from three years ago, saying Australia’s bowlers’ knowledge of the sandpaper plot is “self-explanatory”.
Bancroft was issued a nine-month ban by CA for his role in the incident, while Skipper Steve Smith and Vice Captain David Warner were stripped of their leadership titles and given year-long suspensions.
2018 investigation
The formal review at the time, conducted by CA’s then Head of Integrity Iain Roy, cleared everybody else in the touring party of any wrongdoing or knowledge of the plot.
The investigation was completed between the third and fourth Tests of that 2018 series and included interviews with Australian players and support staff in which Roy was accompanied by two International Cricket Council (ICC) integrity officers, remembered cricket.com.au yesterday (16).
The Guardian interview
Bancroft, having joined Durham for this county season, revisited the issue during an interview with The Guardian last week.
“All I wanted to do was to be responsible and accountable for my own actions and part,” Bancroft said, when asked whether Australia’s bowlers knew what he was doing.
“Obviously what I did benefits bowlers and the awareness around that, probably, is self-explanatory.”
Interviewer Donald McRae reported that he asked Bancroft to clarify whether some of Australia’s bowlers knew, to which the West Australian replied: “Yeah, look, I think, yeah, I think it’s pretty probably self-explanatory.”
In a statement on Saturday (15), CA said they were open to receiving new information about what happened at Newlands.
“Lost control” of his values
“CA has maintained all along that if anyone is in possession of new information in regards to the Cape Town Test of 2018 they should come forward and present it,” a statement read.
“The investigation conducted at the time was detailed and comprehensive. Since then, no one has presented new information to CA that casts doubt on the investigation’s findings.”
Bancroft added he “lost control” of his values at Newlands.
“What had become important to me was being liked, being well valued, feeling really important to my teammates,” he said.
Contributing to a scandal!
“Like I was contributing something by using sandpaper on a cricket ball.”
Steve Smith and David Warner have successfully returned to the upper echelon of international cricket, each winning an Allan Border Medal since their time in exile.
Bancroft, who did open for Australia again but was dropped after playing two Ashes Tests in 2019, has not fared as well. Will Pucovski, Joe Burns, Marcus Harris, and Matthew Wade have recently been selected ahead of Bancroft at the top of Australia’s batting order.
“That’s a goal and a door I haven’t shut for myself,” Bancroft said, when asked about the possibility of a Test recall.
“But it’s also something I’m not mentally stressing about and obsessing about either,” Bancroft has further added.
Bancroft answers Guardian journalist Donald McRae in England
[caption id="attachment_136369" align="alignleft" width="440"]
Bancroft (left) is playing for Durham in the ongoing England County Championship[/caption]
Q: Did Australia’s bowlers knew what you were doing?
A: Yeah, look, I think, yeah, I think it’s pretty probably self-explanatory. All I wanted to do was to be responsible and accountable for my own actions and part. Obviously what I did benefits bowlers and the awareness around that, probably, is self-explanatory.
2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal
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In March 2018, during the third Test versus South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town, Bancroft was caught by TV cameras trying to rough up one side of the ball with yellow colour sandpaper[/caption]
The 2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal, also known as the “Sandpaper-gate scandal”, was a scandal surrounding the Australian national cricket team.
* In March 2018, during the third Test match against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town, Cameron Bancroft was caught by television cameras trying to rough up one side of the ball with sandpaper to make it swing in flight.
* Captain Steve Smith and Vice Captain David Warner were found to be involved and all three received unprecedented sanctions from Cricket Australia (CA).
* Although he was found not to have been directly involved, Australia’s Coach of the time, Darren Lehmann, announced he would step down from his role following the scandal.
* Smith was replaced by Tim Paine as Test Captain, and Aaron Finch as T20I and ODI Captain.
* And on Friday (14), CA said they are reopening the “Sandpaper-gate investigation” after Bancroft hinted that some bowlers of the then Australian side also knew about it.
* CA issued a statement over the weekend following comments from former Test opener Bancroft about the 2018 Cape Town scandal which he made in an interview with the Guardian.
* CA has said anyone with new evidence related to the Cape Town ball-tampering saga in 2018 should present their information to the governing body.