Cricket Australia (CA) has asked batsman Cameron Bancroft if he has new information about the sandpaper ball-tampering scandal.
Asked in an interview with the Guardian if some Australia bowlers knew of the plan to tamper with the ball using sandpaper in a Test in South Africa in 2018, Bancroft said: “It’s pretty probably self-explanatory.”
Bancroft was banned for nine months by CA, while former captain Steve Smith and David Warner were banned for a year.
CA’s investigation cleared all other players and staff.
“There was obviously a thorough investigation into that incident,” Ben Oliver, CA’s executive general manager of national teams, told reporters on Monday.
“We’ve maintained all the way through that if anyone has any new information relating to that incident, that we encourage people to come forward and discuss that with Cricket Australia.
“Our integrity team have reached out to Cam… to remind him if he does have any new information in addition to what his input was into the original investigation, there is an avenue for him to do that.”
CA’s investigation confirmed opener Bancroft used sandpaper to damage the ball during the third Test in Cape Town. Television footage showed him hiding the sandpaper down his trousers.
CA found Smith and Bancroft had made “misleading public comments” after they initially claimed yellow tape was used.
“All I wanted to do was to be responsible and accountable for my own actions and part,” 28-year-old Bancroft said.
“Obviously what I did benefits bowlers and the awareness around that, probably, is self-explanatory.
“I guess one thing I learned through the journey and being responsible is that’s where the buck stops [with Bancroft himself].
“Had I had better awareness I would have made a much better decision.”
In response to Bancroft’s comments, CA said in a statement that it has “maintained all along that if anyone is in possession of new information in regards to the Cape Town Test of 2018 they should come forward and present it”.
It added: “The investigation conducted at the time was detailed and comprehensive. Since then, no-one has presented new information to CA that casts doubt on the investigation’s findings.”
At the time, CA said: “It appears to be an isolated incident but if there are other allegations we will take them further.”
CA concluded coach Darren Lehmann was not involved in the controversy, but he resigned at the end of that series in South Africa.
CA chief executive James Sutherland announced he would step down in June 2018 after 17 years in the role.
An independent report in October 2018 concluded that CA was partly to blame for the scandal and condemned a “winning without counting the costs” culture in Australian cricket.
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
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