Australia's return to South Africa for Test cricket has brought one of the most controversial episodes in modern cricket back into focus.
The two teams
have not played a Test series in South Africa since the infamous 2018 tour, when Australia were engulfed by a ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town. Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera attempting to alter the condition of the ball with sandpaper, leading to year-long bans for captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner and a nine-month suspension for Bancroft.
The episode became known as 'Sandpapergate' and triggered a major reckoning within Australian cricket.
What Was Sandpapergate?
The scandal took place during the third Test between South Africa and Australia in Cape Town in March 2018.
During South Africa's second innings on the third day, television cameras caught Australian opener Cameron Bancroft attempting to rough up one side of the ball with a foreign object. Bancroft then appeared to hide the object in his trousers after realising he had been spotted.
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The object was initially described by Bancroft as a piece of tape, but it was later revealed to be sandpaper.
The intention was to alter the condition of the ball and help it swing through the air, giving Australia's bowlers an advantage.
Ball-tampering itself was not a new concept in cricket, but the use of sandpaper in an organised attempt to change the ball's condition, combined with the involvement of Australia's leadership group, made the incident particularly serious.
Who Was Involved in Sandpapergate?
Three Australian players were ultimately punished by Cricket Australia: Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.
Smith was Australia's captain, Warner was vice-captain, and Bancroft was the player who physically carried out the act on the field.
At the end of the day's play, Smith and Bancroft admitted to ball-tampering during a press conference, although they did not initially reveal that sandpaper had been used.
Smith said the plan had been discussed by the team's 'leadership group' during lunch.
Further investigation established different levels of responsibility among the three players.
What Was David Warner's Role?
Warner was found to have been the architect of the plan.
According to Cricket Australia's findings, he instructed Bancroft on how to use the sandpaper to alter the ball.
Warner received a 12-month ban from international and domestic cricket and was also told that he would never again be considered for a leadership position within the Australian team.
He was also removed from the 2018 IPL, where he had been due to play for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Warner later returned to international cricket and remained an important part of Australia's team before retiring from international cricket in 2024.
What Happened to Steve Smith?
Smith was suspended for 12 months.
The Cricket Australia investigation found that he was aware of the plan but failed to prevent it. He was also punished for making misleading comments about what had happened.
Smith was removed as Australia captain and subsequently succeeded permanently by Tim Paine.
He was also stripped of his Rajasthan Royals captaincy and removed from the 2018 IPL.
Smith was eventually allowed to return to international cricket and has remained part of Australia's Test setup.
What Was Cameron Bancroft's Punishment?
Bancroft received a nine-month suspension, the shortest of the three major bans.
He was the player caught on camera attempting to alter the ball and was therefore directly involved in carrying out the plan.
His county cricket agreement with Somerset was also cancelled following the scandal.
Bancroft later revealed that the enforced break from cricket had been difficult enough for him to consider quitting the sport and becoming a yoga teacher.
Although he eventually returned to international cricket, his Test career never fully recovered. His two Tests at the beginning of the 2019 Ashes remain his most recent international appearances, according to the source material.
What Happened to Australia's Coaching Staff?
The fallout extended beyond the three players.
Australia coach Darren Lehmann was cleared of any involvement in the ball-tampering plan. However, he resigned following the fourth Test against South Africa.
Australia subsequently lost Test series against Pakistan and India before beating Sri Lanka 2-0 and drawing the 2019 Ashes series 2-2 in England.
Why Were the Bans So Severe?
The punishments triggered debate about whether Cricket Australia had gone too far.
Former India internationals Gautam Gambhir and Harbhajan Singh, broadcaster Mark Nicholas and the late Shane Warne were among those who questioned the severity of the sanctions.
Warne described the episode as embarrassing for Australia but argued that the worldwide reaction had created a level of 'hysteria' and that the punishment was not proportionate to the offence.
The players themselves also spoke emotionally about the consequences.
Smith and Bancroft held emotional press conferences after returning to Australia, while Smith has subsequently described the episode as one of the most traumatic periods of his life.
How Did Sandpapergate Affect Steve Smith?
Smith has continued to speak about the psychological impact of the scandal.
In comments reported recently, he recalled being confronted by media and supporters at Johannesburg airport after being told he would be banned for a year.
Smith said the experience left him with flashbacks and described the initial period as particularly difficult.
He also said he had tried to block much of the 2018 series from his memory.
Despite the fallout, Smith returned to international cricket and rebuilt his career at the highest level.
Has David Warner's Leadership Ban Changed?
Warner was initially given a lifetime ban from leadership positions as part of his punishment.
He later applied to have the ban lifted before withdrawing the application in 2022.
The suspension was eventually lifted, and Warner went on to captain Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League.
Why Is Sandpapergate Back in Focus?
Australia's return to South Africa for a Test series has revived memories of the 2018 controversy.
Australia have played South Africa in white-ball cricket since the scandal, but a proposed Test tour in 2021 was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This series therefore marks Australia's first Test return to South Africa since the Cape Town scandal.
The 2018 incident remains particularly sensitive because it happened in the same country and involved one of the most prominent teams in world cricket.
How Could South African Fans React?
Former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock expects the atmosphere to contain reminders of the controversy, but does not anticipate an extreme reaction.
Pollock said there had been plenty of replays of the 2018 series in the build-up to the tour and suggested some supporters could reference the scandal through costumes or other reminders.
However, he did not expect the response to become excessively hostile.
For Australia, the challenge will therefore be to move beyond an episode that has followed the team for almost a decade.
Could There Be More to Sandpapergate?
There has remained some debate over how widely the players' knowledge of the ball-tampering extended.
Cricket Australia's investigation concluded that Smith, Warner and Bancroft were involved in the plan.
However, Bancroft later suggested in a 2021 interview that it was 'self-explanatory' that the bowlers in the team would have been aware that the ball was being altered.
Cricket Australia said it remained open to investigating any new information that emerged.
No further findings are established in the source material.
Sandpapergate: The Legacy of the 2018 Scandal
Almost nine years later, the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal remains one of the defining controversies in Australian cricket.
Smith, Warner and Bancroft all returned to international cricket, but the consequences were lasting. Smith rebuilt his career as one of Australia's leading batters, Warner eventually retired from international cricket, while Bancroft's international career stalled.
The scandal also changed the perception of Australia's cricket team and forced a wider examination of leadership, accountability and the culture surrounding the side.
Now, with Australia back in South Africa for Test cricket for the first time since that infamous series, Sandpapergate has become part of the backdrop to the latest chapter in the rivalry.
