The ball-tampering scandal that rocked cricket in March 2018 saw Cameron Bancroft caught on camera using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball during the third Test in Cape Town. The incident resulted in year-long bans for captain Steve Smith and David Warner, while Bancroft received a nine-month suspension.
As Australia prepare to return to South Africa for a Test series starting Friday in Durban, the memories of that controversial tour remain fresh. This marks the first time the sides will meet in Test cricket since the scandal unfolded.
The Incident Unfolds
On day three of the Cape Town Test, Bancroft was filmed attempting to rough up one side of the ball with sandpaper to generate swing. After realising he had been spotted, he tried to hide the sandpaper in his trousers, initially claiming it was tape.
At the end of the day’s play, Bancroft and Smith admitted to ball-tampering during a press conference. Smith revealed the plan had been devised by the leadership group at lunch, though the use of sandpaper was not disclosed at that stage.
Immediate Consequences
Smith and vice-captain Warner stood down from their leadership roles for the remainder of the match but continued playing as Tim Paine took over the captaincy. Australia collapsed to 107 in their second innings, with Warner top-scoring on 32, Bancroft making 26 and Smith managing just seven. South Africa won by 322 runs.
All three players were sent home before the fourth Test, which Australia lost by 492 runs to complete a 3-1 series defeat. Cricket Australia found each player had engaged in conduct against the spirit of the game and harmful to its interests.
The Punishments
Warner was identified as the architect of the plot, having directed Bancroft on how to use the sandpaper. He received a 12-month ban and was told he would never be considered for a leadership position again.
Smith was suspended for a year after failing to prevent a plan he knew about and making misleading statements. He was barred from leadership roles until at least 12 months after his ban ended.
Bancroft received a nine-month suspension for his direct involvement in tampering with the ball.
Wider Fallout
Both Smith and Warner were removed from the 2018 Indian Premier League, where they had been set to play for and initially captain Rajasthan Royals and SunRisers Hyderabad respectively. Somerset cancelled Bancroft’s county cricket contract.
Coach Darren Lehmann, though cleared of any involvement, resigned after the fourth Test. Without the banned trio, Australia lost Test series to Pakistan and at home to India before beginning their recovery.
Debate Over Severity
Former players including Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh and Mark Nicholas questioned whether the sanctions were too harsh. Shane Warne, who died in 2022, called the incident “embarrassing” but felt worldwide “hysteria” led to punishment “not fitting the crime”.
Smith and Bancroft gave emotional press conferences upon returning home. Bancroft later admitted he had considered abandoning cricket to become a yoga teacher during his ban.
Career Impact
While all three players represented Australia again, Bancroft’s international career stalled. His two Tests at the start of the 2019 Ashes remain his last international appearances.
Warner retired from internationals in 2024 after initially applying to have his lifetime captaincy ban lifted, then revoking that request in 2022. The suspension was eventually overturned and he led Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League.
Smith remains in the Australian side and recently reflected on the traumatic experience in an interview with News Corp.
Smith’s Reflections
“That was a traumatic experience in my life and when I hear the flash of a camera it makes me revisit that, in a way,” Smith said. “The 24-48 hours after being told I was getting banned for a year, going through the airport in Johannesburg getting absolutely mobbed, and then flying back and doing a press conference… I still have little flashbacks here and there of it.”
“I felt like I was kind of thrown to the wolves through Johannesburg airport. I didn’t have any support there at all. It was certainly a difficult period, particularly the initial few days after. The mental state I was in was not great.”
“I’ve tried to kind of erase a lot of 2018 and what happened. I can’t remember a lot about the series. I’ve tried to block most of it out of my memory bank.”
What to Expect in South Africa
Australia have visited South Africa for white-ball cricket since the scandal, but a proposed Test tour in 2021 was cancelled due to Covid-19. England supporters regularly mocked their Ashes rivals over the incident, with some dressing as sandpaper.
Former South Africa all-rounder Shaun Pollock expects a spirited atmosphere but nothing overly hostile. “I don’t think it’ll be overly hostile,” he said. “Over here, there’s been quite a few replays of the 2018 series over the last few weeks, just to create a bit of animosity, I suppose, but when you play against Australia, people in South Africa won’t need a reason to have a go at them.”
“I’m sure there’ll be a few people coming dressed up in accordance with the scandal, I’m sure there’ll be some continual reminding of it, but I don’t think it’ll be over the top or too intense.”
Unresolved Questions
While Cricket Australia found only Warner, Smith and Bancroft were involved, Bancroft suggested in a 2021 interview that it was “self-explanatory” bowlers had to be aware the ball was being tampered with. Cricket Australia said they were open to investigating any new information.
The episode remains one Australia will want to forget but will likely never be allowed to escape.