After‌ ‌Cameron‌ ‌Bancroft’s‌ ‌latest‌ ‌admission,‌ ‌CA‌ ‌willing‌ ‌to‌ ‌reinvestigate‌ ‌Sandpaper‌ ‌Gate‌ ‌scandal‌

Tags: Australia, Cameron Timothy Bancroft

Published on: May 16, 2021

After Cameron Bancroft hinted that bowlers were in the know of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town, Cricket Australia (CA) said that it is open to reinvestigating the Sandpaper Gate scandal, provided anyone has more information about it. Apart from Bancroft, Steve Smith and David Warner were handed bans in the wake of the Cape Town controversy.

After Cameron Bancroft hinted that bowlers were in the know of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town, Cricket Australia (CA) said that it is open to reinvestigating the Sandpaper Gate scandal, provided anyone has more information about it. Apart from Bancroft, Steve Smith and David Warner were handed bans in the wake of the Cape Town controversy

"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. 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."

During the Cape Town Test in March 2018, Bancroft was caught on camera trying to alter the condition of the ball using a sandpaper. The incident has since been referred to as ‘Sandpaper Gate’. Bancroft, who is playing county cricket in Durham, stated that it was 'probably self-explanatory' as to whether the bowlers were aware if the ball was being tampered with.

"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 said to the Guardian according to ESPN Cricinfo.

"I guess one thing I learnt through the journey and being responsible is that's where the buck stops [with Bancroft himself]. Had I had better awareness I would have made a much better decision," he further added.

Probed further on whether the bowlers were in the know of what was going on, Bancroft replied: "Uh... yeah, look, I think, yeah, I think it's pretty probably self-explanatory."

The ball-tampering scandal took place on the third day of the Cape Town Test. After Bancroft was caught on camera trying to change the condition of the ball, the clip went viral on social media and the cricketing community lashed out at Bancroft’s act.

At the end of the day's play, Bancroft and then Australia skipper Steve Smith admitted that they were involved in tampering the ball. Vice-captain David Warner’s involvement was also established. Smith and Warner were asked to stand down as captain and vice-captain immediately. Later, the trio was handed suspensions while then Australian coach Darren Lehmann resigned following the controversy

--By A Cricket Correspondent

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