Cameron Bancroft

Cameron Timothy Bancroft (born 19 November 1992) is an Australian cricketer, currently contracted to Western Australia in Australian first class cricket, County Durham in English first class cricket, and the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League. He made his Test debut for the Australian national team in November 2017.

As a result of a Cricket Australia investigation into a ball tampering incident during the Third Test against South Africa in March 2018, Bancroft and two others, Steve Smith and David Warner (Captain and Vice Captain), were charged by Cricket Australia on 27 March 2018 (South African Standard Time) with bringing the game into disrepute, suspended, and sent home from the tour. On 28 March 2018, as a result of his involvement in the ball tampering incident, Cricket Australia banned Bancroft from all international and domestic cricket for nine months, and he will not be considered for a leadership role in Australian cricket before March 2020. Bancroft made his return to cricket on 30 December 2018, playing for the Perth Scorchers in the 2018–19 Big Bash League season. Bancroft scored 138 not out on his Sheffield Shieldreturn as well.

After playing Under-17, Under-19 and Under-23 for Western Australia, he played several Test and ODIs for the Australian Under-19 cricket team; where he impressed with his high scoring ability, scoring three centuries, at an average of 50.90.

In August 2012, Bancroft partook in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, where he scored the second highest total (196 runs) for Australia, second only to William Bosisto, the Australian Captain.

He made his List A debut for Western Australia against Tasmania on 16 October 2011 and his first-class debut a week later.

Bancroft was selected in the Australian Test squad to tour Bangladesh; however, that tour was cancelled for security reasons. Bancroft and the rest of the team returned to their states.

He made his Twenty20 International debut for Australia against India on 31 January 2016.

In November 2017, he was named in Australia’s Test squad for the 2017–18 Ashes series. He replaced Matt Renshaw as an opening batsmanand became the first Australian opener to make his debut in an Ashes Test since Michael Slater in 1993.

Bancroft had his baggy green cap presented to him by Geoff Marsh. In his first Test innings, he was dismissed for 5. In the second innings of the match he made 82 not out to give Australia a 10 wicket victory against England. He played in all five Tests in that series.

Ball-tampering incident and suspension

Bancroft was selected for the 2018 tour of South Africa, and played in the first three Tests.

In March 2018, Bancroft admitted to ball tampering against South Africa in the third Test match held in Cape Town. During the match, television footage showed Bancroft rubbing the ball with sandpaper. On discovering that footage of the incident had been broadcast, Bancroft put the sandpaper down the front of his trousers, before being spoken to by the on-field umpires. At a later press conference captain Steve Smith admitted that the plan to tamper with the ball was concocted by the team "leadership group." The ICC later imposed a one match ban on Steve Smith and handed over 3 demerit points to Cameron Bancroft after the alleged ball tampering controversy. Cricket Australia then imposed further sanctions against Bancroft, Smith and David Warner, meaning they would not take part in the fourth Test. Cricket Australia launched a separate investigation into the incident as a matter of urgency.

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland announced that as a result of the preliminary investigation into the incident Smith, Warner and Bancroft had been charged with bringing the game into disrepute, suspended and sent home. David Warner was later found to be responsible for the development of the plan to tamper with the ball and instructing Bancroft on how to do it. Bancroft was found to have carried out those instructions, tried to conceal evidence and mislead match officials by denying knowledge of the tampering. As a result, Bancroft received a 9-month ban from international and domestic cricket in Australia, and will not be considered for a leadership role for 1 year after that ban finishes.

Somerset County Cricket Club announced that Bancroft would not be joining the county as their overseas player for the 2018 season as previously planned.

Return to Cricket

Return to BBL

Bancroft made his return to professional cricket on 30 December 2018, representing the Perth Scorchers in the 2018–19 Big Bash League season. In the match he scored two runs from three balls, with the Hobart Hurricanes going on to win the game by six wickets. Whilst he only scored 2 runs in his first game back for the Perth Scorchers, he went on to make 296 runs in 10 games in the season, including a Career Best knock of 87* against the Sydney Sixes, in which he was awarded man of the match.

Return to Australian Domestic Cricket

Bancroft made his professional return to test cricket on 23 February 2019, representing the Western Warriors against the NSW Blues in the 2018-19 Sheffield Shield Season. In his return to Shield Cricket, Bancroft made an unbeaten 138* runs off 358 balls in his first innings, and 86 off 263 in his second innings for the Western Warriors against the NSW Blues. Overall with Bancroft facing a total of 621 balls in the match, he fell just 28 balls short of former Australian Captain Steve Waugh's record of most balls faced in a shield match, at 649 balls.

English Domestic Cricket

He was later controversially appointed as county captain for Durham. Whilst the move to make him captain was criticised by members of the public, it was supported by Durham director of cricket Marcus North and former Australian Captain and Teammate Steve Smith. In his One Day Game debut for Durham County, Bancroft went on to make 151* runs off 130 balls to win the game against Northamptonshire in a One-Day Cup match.

2019 Ashes series

In July 2019, he was named in Australia's squad for the 2019 Ashes series in England. He made his international return in the first test at Edgbaston at the beginning of August. He played the first two Tests, but after scores of 8, 7, 13 and 16, was dropped for the third Test.