The infamous ball-tampering incident during the 2018 Test match between Australia and South Africa in Cape Town had left Cricket Australia along with all the cricketers and fans around the globe shocked with the guilty trio of Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith and David Warner handed lengthy bans.
Well, after three years, the Sandpaper Gate incident has yet again grabbed the headlines after the shocking revelation by Bancroft last week, suggesting that the Australian bowlers were aware of the illegal tactic during the Newlands Test against South Africa in March 2018.
Following the shocking statement by Bancroft – who was caught on television cameras trying to rough up one side of the ball with a piece of sandpaper in Cape Town, Cricket Australia’s integrity unit has contacted the cricketer, asking whether he has any fresh information regarding the dreadful scandal.
Ben Oliver, Cricket Australia's head of national teams, has on Monday (May 17) confirmed that the integrity unit headed by Rebecca Murray had reached out to Bancroft to ask if he was willing to speak further about the 2018 Newlands ball-tampering plot.
Oliver was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo: “There was obviously a thorough investigation into that, to that incident. There were actions taken on the back of that and then since that time. I think we’ve maintained all the way through that if, if anyone had any new information relating to that incident that we’ve encouraged people to come forward and discuss that with our integrity unit.”
He signed off by saying, “Our integrity team have reached out to Cam again extending that invitation to him if he does have any, any new information. We’ll wait to see his response on that, we haven’t had had a response. But, in saying, that we’re operating on different time zones.”
(With PTI Inputs)
