Was it necessary for Cameron Bancroft to revive the ball tampering scandal?
The ‘Sandpaper Gate’ scandal rocked the cricketing world in the year 2018. Australian cricketer Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera allegedly using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball in a Test match against South Africa. And, he had acted on the instruction he received from Steve Smith and David Warner, who were the captain and vice-captain respectively, of the Australian side at that time.
And, Cricket Australia dealt with this case very severely. While Bancroft was banned from the sport for 9 months, Smith and Warner were not only removed from their roles but were also banned for one year for their actions. Also, it was revealed that Warner would never be considered for leadership positions as well.
But then, just when we thought that the dust had settled on the matter and the cricketing world had moved on, Cameron Bancroft threw fresh news that dropped like a bombshell on 16th May 2021. The Australian cricketer hinted that even the Australian bowlers were aware of the entire plan.
“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. Uh… yeah, look, I think, yeah, I think it’s pretty probably self-explanatory,” said Bancroft to The Guardian.
So, the matter seems to be bigger than what it was thought to be, isn’t it? Bancroft has hinted in clear terms that more players were aware of the plan before it was executed. But then, one question has to be asked.
Why is Bancroft opening up the wounds again more than 3 years after the incident? Why is he rubbing more salt to the wounds? What is the need for him to suddenly reveal more details on an issue that has already brought about immense shame on the Australian cricket team?
Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Lyon have issued a joint statement in response to the last few days ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/E8oREpvO6W
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) May 18, 2021
Probably one simple explanation might be that Bancroft was still feeling guilty for his actions and he wanted to provide more information to get the load off his chest. Or maybe, does Bancroft want to grab the spotlight and be the ‘apple’s eye’ of the media? Maybe Bancroft wants to get more attention? Or maybe, he wanted the other Australian players who had ‘supposedly escaped’ to also face the heat?
But whatever the reason might be, there was no need for Bancroft to further open up the chapters on an issue that has already proven to be detrimental to Australian cricket. And, especially at a time when the cricketing world has moved on.
