The ball-tampering scandal that rocked cricket resulted in year-long bans for three Australian players and continues to cast a shadow over the sport. As Australia prepare for their first Test series in South Africa since the incident, the controversy remains a defining moment in cricket history.
The Incident
During day three of the third Test in Cape Town in March 2018, Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera attempting to rough up one side of the ball with sandpaper to make it swing through the air. After realising he had been spotted, Bancroft tried to hide the sandpaper—which he initially claimed was tape—in his trousers.
At the end of that day’s play, Bancroft and captain Steve Smith admitted to ball-tampering in a press conference. Smith revealed the plan had been devised by the leadership group at lunch, though the use of sandpaper was not initially disclosed.
Immediate Consequences
Smith and vice-captain David Warner stood down from their leadership roles for the remainder of the Cape Town Test but continued playing. Now captained by Tim Paine, Australia collapsed to 107 in their second innings and lost by 322 runs. Warner top-scored with 32, Bancroft made 26, and Smith managed just seven.
All three players were sent home before the fourth Test, in which Australia suffered a 492-run defeat and a 3-1 series loss. Cricket Australia found each player had engaged in conduct against the spirit of the game and harmful to its interests.
The Punishments
Warner was deemed to have led the plot and guided Bancroft on how to use the sandpaper. He received a one-year ban from international and domestic cricket and was told he would never be considered for a leadership position again.
Smith was suspended for 12 months for failing to prevent a plan he knew about and making misleading comments. He was barred from leadership roles until at least 12 months after his ban ended.
Bancroft received a nine-month suspension for his direct role in the tampering.
Further Fallout
Smith and Warner were removed from the 2018 Indian Premier League, where they were 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 involvement, resigned after the fourth Test against South Africa. He now coaches Northamptonshire in county cricket.
Without their three banned players, Australia lost Test series away to Pakistan and at home to India before beginning their recovery.
Debate Over Severity
Several cricket figures, including former India internationals Gautam Gambhir and Harbhajan Singh, broadcaster Mark Nicholas, and the late Shane Warne, argued the sanctions were too harsh.
Warne, who died in 2022, acknowledged the incident was embarrassing but felt worldwide hysteria led to punishment not fitting the crime.
Smith and Bancroft gave emotional press conferences upon returning to Australia. Bancroft later admitted he considered quitting cricket to become a yoga teacher during his ban.
Career Aftermath
While all three players returned to international cricket, their careers took different paths. Smith continues to represent Australia. Warner retired from internationals in 2024 but had his lifetime captaincy ban lifted, allowing him to lead Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League.
Bancroft’s international career never fully recovered—his two Tests at the start of the 2019 Ashes remain his last international appearances to date.
Smith’s Reflections
Speaking to News Corp recently, Smith described the experience as traumatic. The sound of a camera flash still makes him revisit those moments, he said.
Smith described the 24-48 hours after learning of his year-long ban as particularly difficult, including being mobbed at Johannesburg airport without support before returning for a press conference.
“I felt like I was kind of thrown to the wolves through airport. I didn’t have any support there at all,” Smith said. “The mental state I was in was not great. That’s somewhere I’d like not to get to again.”
He added that he has tried to erase much of 2018 from his memory and cannot remember much about the series.
Return to South Africa
Australia have played white-ball cricket in South Africa since the scandal, but a proposed Test tour in 2021 was cancelled due to Covid-19. The upcoming series marks their first Test cricket in the country since the incident.
Former South Africa all-rounder Shaun Pollock does not expect the reaction to be overly hostile. He noted that recent television replays of the 2018 series have been shown to create intrigue, and some supporters may dress up in reference to the scandal, but he does not anticipate it being over the top.
Lingering Questions
While Cricket Australia found only Warner, Smith and Bancroft were involved in the plot, Bancroft said in a 2021 interview that it was “self-explanatory” bowlers in the team had to be aware the ball was being tampered with.
Cricket Australia stated they were open to investigating any new information. The episode remains one Australia would prefer to forget but will likely never be allowed to.
The first Test between South Africa and Australia begins on Friday, with play starting at 8.30am.