Somerset sacks Cameron Bancroft post ball tampering row

Cricket Australia banned Cameron Bancroft for nine months.

Cameron Bancroft won’t be joining the Somerset side for this year | Getty Images

English County side –Somerset, on Thursday, confirmed that the club terminated their contract with the suspended Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft, saying he would not be the Club’s overseas player for the 2018 season after his involvement in the ball-tampering scandal.

Cricket Australia banned Bancroft for nine months after being caught on video footage using tape to alter the condition of the ball during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town last week.

Bancroft had said, “I want to say that I'm very sorry ... I'm very disappointed and I regret my actions ... It is something I will regret for the rest of my life. I lied. I lied about the sandpaper. I panicked in that situation and I'm very sorry ... I feel like I've let everyone down in Australia.”

As per AFP, Somerset director of cricket Andy Hurry said of Bancroft, “I have met this morning with the CEO, club captain and head coach and, with the club’s best interests at the centre of our decision, can confirm Cameron Bancroft will not be our overseas player for the 2018 season. We are currently undertaking the process to recruit a replacement overseas player that best fits our needs and will share an update in due course.”

Since the controversy erupted, Somerset director had talked a number of times with Bancroft, revealed Andy. He also said that the “25-year-old Aussie has also spoken very maturely and shared his deep regret and apologized to everyone associated to the club”.

Hurry signed off by saying, “It’s important we remember there is a young man at the centre of all this, he made a poor choice as I’m sure many of us have done during our lives. What’s important now is Cameron is given the appropriate support. There is no doubt in my mind he will learn from this and he will return stronger.”

 

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 30 Mar, 2018

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