Bancroft suggests bowlers aware of ball tampering in South Africa

[TheParraboy]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05...ers-aware-of-tampering-south-africa/100141966


Australia's Cameron Bancroft re-opens ball-tampering saga, suggesting bowlers knew what was going on

Cameron Bancroft has reignited debate about the ball-tampering scandal, claiming Australia's bowlers' knowledge of the sandpaper plot is "self-explanatory".

Key points:

• Cameron Bancroft has said his infamous ball-tampering in the Cape Town Test benefited Australia's bowlers and that their knowledge of it was "self-explanatory"
• Bancroft, who is playing for Durham in English county cricket, spoke about the saga in an interview with The Guardian
• A Cricket Australia review found no one in the touring party other than Bancroft, David Warner and Steve Smith knew of the plan

Cricket Australia (CA) and its national men's side were plunged into crisis in 2018, when broadcast cameras captured Bancroft using sandpaper on the ball before stuffing the evidence down his pants during a Test in Cape Town.

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.

CA's formal review, conducted by former high-performance boss Pat Howard and former head of integrity Iain Roy, cleared everybody else in the touring party of any wrongdoing or knowledge of the illegal plot.

There has since been no shortage of questions about whether that was the case.

Bancroft, having joined Durham for this county season, revisited the issue during a frank interview with The Guardian.

"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."

The former Test opener, asked to clarify whether some of Australia's bowlers knew, replied: "Yeah, look, I think, yeah, I think it's pretty probably self-explanatory".

Australia's first-choice attack of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon played in that infamous match.

"We're really serious about addressing any unresolved issues and we're sincere in the way we're going about that. So if there are any reports or allegations as opposed to innuendo, then we will investigate that thoroughly," former CA chief executive Kevin Roberts said in 2019.

Smith and Warner have successfully returned to the upper echelon of cricket, each winning an Allan Border medal after their time in exile.

 

[JJ]

it's obviously self-explanatory... but we're at the point now of so what?

 

[TheParraboy]

it's obviously self-explanatory... but we're at the point now of so what?

There was a huge outcry when it happened

You saying those same Aussies will now turn a blind eye over cheats? (if indeed the bowlers knew)

 

[JJ]

There was a huge outcry when it happened

You saying those same Aussies will now turn a blind eye over cheats? (if indeed the bowlers knew)

No, but if everyone else denies it will they believe Bancroft? Most would have known surely? Certainly the Aussies like some others seemed to get reverse early, but all circumstantial... hopefully they’re not stupid enough to do it again... full truth will never be known

It’s now a flush the dunny and move on situation imo. Wouldn’t have Smith or Dumb Dumb near leadership again, and with the quicks you have pathetic to cheat imo

 

[TheParraboy]

Davey will never be captain Oz, not sure about Smith

A Davey autobiography, no doubt when he retires and has maximized his income, may open up some things again. Got a feeling some finger pointing to come in the years ahead

 

[Smug Panther]

Great team player this little deadshit is.

 

[Eelectrica]

Can't wait for Bancrofts book- How to lose friends and influence enemies.

 

[The_Frog]

Why is ball tampering only a hanging offence if you are Australian?

 

[TheParraboy]

Can't wait for Bancrofts book- How to lose friends and influence enemies.

haha yes indeed

How hard is it when questions come up, just to keep the blame to the 3 who were punished ?

 

[Bazal]

"Hey guys it's Cam Bancroft I'm still relevant!"

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Why is ball tampering only a hanging offence if you are Australian?

Who was hung?

What other individuals from other countries were found with sandpaper on the field?

Stick to pontificating on the panthers.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Langer will be impressed with Bancroft's elite squealing

 

[Bazal]

Who was hung?

Well I've heard stories about "little" Davey Warn....oh. Ohhhhhhhh.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

haha yes indeed

How hard is it when questions come up, just to keep the blame to the 3 who were punished ?

Throughout the whole thing I’ve actually had the most admiration for Warner of the 3 involved.

He’s the one who’s shut up, copped the ban n fines, not excused himself or blamed others. Yes he may have instigated it but that aside, like in any crime film, mafia etc...

3 guys get caught. Would seem plenty more were involved. But of the three, It’s the one who shuts up, says nothing, cops the sentence and comes out without saying a word ... who gets my respect.

However he got into the crime, Bancrofts comments like this only make him look like a squealer. “A rat. And put the nail in the coffin of his potential Australian test career in the future.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Who was hung?

What other individuals from other countries were found with sandpaper on the field?

Stick to pontificating on the panthers.

Suggest he means other players from other countries (eg Du Plessis, Atherton, afridi) have been found guilty of tampering but not had bans to the extremity of the Australian 3.

Aside from that, I find it interesting that since all that went down ... reverse swing has quietly disappeared out of the arsenal of many teams... including South Africa.... and the South Africans have since fallen off a cliff at test level...

 

[JJ]

Throughout the whole thing I’ve actually had the most admiration for Warner of the 3 involved.

He’s the one who’s shut up, copped the ban n fines, not excused himself or blamed others. Yes he may have instigated it but that aside, like in any crime film, mafia etc...

3 guys get caught. Would seem plenty more were involved. But of the three, It’s the one who shuts up, says nothing, cops the sentence and comes out without saying a word ... who gets my respect.

However he got into the crime, Bancrofts comments like this only make him look like a squealer. “A rat. And put the nail in the coffin of his potential Australian test career in the future.

he's a complex fella wee Davey, on one hand to many eyes a good bloke and good teammate, but simultaneously an impulsive irresponsible wanker, nothing is ever black and white

I'm not a fan, and most here know, but don't see as much of him as others do... terrific bat in Strayan/Effrikan conditions, but Jeet Raval elsewhere

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

he's a complex fella wee Davey, on one hand to many eyes a good bloke and good teammate, but simultaneously an impulsive irresponsible wanker, nothing is ever black and white

I'm not a fan, and most here know, but don't see as much of him as others do... terrific bat in Strayan/Effrikan conditions, but Jeet Raval elsewhere

can appreciate that view.

I think the Warner-before and Warner-after the ball tampering are two different men.

 

[simmo1]

Most aren't naive enough to think the bowlers didn't know. Just as most aren't naive enough to think that a bloke in his mid 20s who has played cricket his whole life had just decided to use sandpaper this one time in a test match.

 

[hineyrulz]

Bancroft is dumber than spit, no wonder he is a Langer favourite.

 

[_snafu_]

Great team player this little deadshit is.

It’s another reason why Perth shouldn’t have an NRL team.