Cameron Bancroft Looks Beyond Sandpaper Scandal

Casson says Cameron Bancroft will focus on cricket despite Khawaja’s claims.

Bancroft Bats On Past Scandal

Western Australia opener speaks with his bat as new claims about the 2018 sandpaper controversy emerge in Khawaja’s book

Cameron Bancroft is looking to put the past behind him after new claims emerged about the 2018 ball-tampering controversy. New details from Usman Khawaja’s upcoming autobiography Sabr have reignited the debate around the incident in South Africa. Bancroft’s state coach said he wants to focus on cricket.

What Happened: New Claims

Excerpts from Khawaja’s book state that the plan to change the condition of the ball using sandpaper was discussed openly in the second Test in Gqeberha.

• Warner’s Reaction: Khawaja wrote that Warner was initially reluctant to touch sandpaper as the umpires were keeping a close eye on him.
• Khawaja’s Reaction: “I just thought there was no way they would do anything about it so I laughed him off,” said Khawaja.
• Bancroft’s Reaction: “I think Cameron came into it and was six Tests into his Test career and probably desperate to be part of the group, so he said, ‘I’ll do it’. He said it was an easy thing to do.”

These are Khawaja’s memories.

A Career Altered

In 2018, Cricket Australia conducted a swift investigation into the incident. Bancroft was handed a 9-month ban while Warner and captain Steven Smith received harsher punishments.

Smith and Warner returned to the national team, having long and famed careers in international cricket. However, Bancroft has never really been able to get back into the game. He had a short stint in the Test squad during the 2019 Ashes tour but has not played for Australia since.

This isn’t the first time Bancroft has been linked to the tampering scandal. In 2021, he hinted in an interview that it was “obvious” that Australia’s star bowlers knew about the tampering. This prompted an immediate statement from Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon.

Western Australia vs England

Bancroft played for Western Australia in a one-day match against England at the WACA over the weekend. He batted at the top of the order and scored a solid 32. He took three catches.

Coach Beau Casson defended his player, saying that it was a long time ago and that Bancroft has been very professional. He said that Bancroft just wants to “let his bat do the talking.”

Key Stats at a Glance

Key Points

• Bancroft has been consistently performing domestically. With an average of over 48 over 3 Shield-winning seasons, he has remained in contention.
• He was not selected for the first spot due to Warner retiring and his form dipping, meaning he was not selected for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This scandal is just one of the reasons he has been left out.
• He has been valuable in the field with 3 catches against England.
• Bancroft has stated that he is no longer nervous about getting another chance. He would be grateful to get recalled to the Test team but is happy with the career he has had.

What’s Next?

Bancroft will continue to play for Western Australia. The only way he can get back into contention is by consistently performing at the top of the order. We will also see how Khawaja’s book is received as it gets closer to release. We will also see if any of the players mentioned will respond.

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