Cricket Australia open to reinvestigating Sandpaper Gate following Cameron Bancroft's comments

Cricket Australia (CA) said on Saturday that it is open to reinvestigating the 'Sandpaper Gate' episode if there is anyone with more knowledge on the matter.

The announcement comes in light of Australian opener Cameron Bancroft's startling revelation that more players, outside himself, Steve Smith and David Warner, were aware of the plot. The opener hinted that the bowlers' involvement was 'self-explanatory' as the ball-tampering directly benefited them.

"CA 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. 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," CA's Nick Hockley told Fox Cricket.

CA's investigation in 2018 revealed that rubbing a piece of sandpaper on the ball to aid the reverse swing was Warner's brainchild. Bancroft executed the task while then-skipper Smith turned a blind eye to the incident. All three were handed suspensions after Bancroft was caught by a TV camera in Cape Town.

"Obviously what I did benefits bowlers and the awareness around that, probably, is self-explanatory." 😱😱😱Cameron Bancroft has made a stunning admission about the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal >>> https://t.co/WjdcfC0yED pic.twitter.com/csv6zNxfYS

— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) May 15, 2021

Following the incident, Smith said the team's 'leadership group' was aware of the proceedings, without taking any names. Bancroft's statement has led to a furor in the media, with many questioning Australia's senior pacers - Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood - for their roles in the incident.

Ian Chappell had raised questions about Cricket Australia's investigation in 2018

Ian Chappell

Also relevant to the current situation is former Aussie skipper Ian Chappell's criticism of CA's investigation in 2019. Chappell flagged the probe as very specifically targeted towards David Warner.

“That probe was pretty specific. It almost sounded to me like they were after Warner... If it was going to be a proper probe, it would have been far more wide-reaching,” Chappell told Channel 9.

Cameron Bancroft served a 9-month ban but has failed to regain his place in the Australian Test side on his return. Warner and Smith were both suspended for a year, with the former also stripped off the opportunity to ever captain the national side.

Smith is in line to regain his leadership role in the side but the reopening of the ball-tampering case could put a halt to that.

Cam Bancroft might have revealed a little bit more than before, something talked about informally on the circuit, about SandpaperGate. "Were the bowlers aware?" It is "self-explanatory" he says. That can't mean a no, surely.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 15, 2021