Sandpapergate | Just wanted to fit in and feel valued, reveals Cameron Bancroft
Cameron Bancroft revealed that he played along with the whole ball-tampering fiasco in an attempt to be a part of the Australian cricket squad and feel valued. Bancroft, along with David Warner and Steven Smith were handed lengthy bans by Cricket Australia after being found guilty of ball-tampering.
It’s been one long year for Australian cricketer Cameron Bancroft who made his international debut for the national team against England in 2017. The young batsman was involved in the tour of South Africa earlier this year during which he was caught ball-tampering on camera during the Test match in Cape Town. it was later revealed that Bancroft was working under the instructions of skipper Steven Smith and vice-captain David Warner.
Bancroft, who was handed a nine-month sanction by Cricket Australia for the incidents away from home, has now revealed that his actions in South Africa were motivated by his need to feel included in the national squad.
"Dave suggested to me to carry the action out on the ball given the situation we were in in the game and I didn't know any better, I didn't know any better because I just wanted to fit in and feel valued, really -- as simple as that," Bancroft revealed in an interview with Fox Sports.
Bancroft, who played eight Test matches for Australia so far, added that he took full responsibility for his actions and accepts that he made a ‘massive’ mistake.
"The decision was based around my values, what I valued at the time and I valued fitting in... you hope that fitting in earns you respect and with that, I guess, there came a pretty big cost for the mistake. I would have gone to bed and I would have felt like I had let everybody down. I would have felt like I had let the team down. I would have left like I had hurt our chances to win the game of cricket.
"I take no other responsibility but the responsibility I have on myself and my own actions because I am not a victim. I had a choice and I made a massive mistake and that is what is in my control,"Bancroft added.
While Smith, Warner were handed 12-month bans for their respective roles in the incident, Bancroft was given a slightly more lenient sanction of nine months away from all forms of domestic and international cricket. Cricket Australia faced severe criticism after a cultural review shed light on the toxic winning at no-cost culture that the board practised in its functioning.
"The reason why it was painful is because the truth hurts. Maybe in that review there was some truths that were pretty hard to accept. What does that bring? It brings an amazing opportunity to do something about it. Only Cricket Australia will know if they are being true to themselves, to be able to own up to some of those recommendations.
"If they can look at themselves in the mirror and be really content and be really peaceful, and proud of the direction they're going, that's OK. If they aren't, like me, that value will always come undone won't it? It will present itself in the face to you and you'll have to learn another lesson."
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