Cameron Bancroft joins Smith, won’t challenge CA ban

Cameron Bancroft will not challenge Cricket Australia’s decision to ban him from the game for nine months for his part in the ball tampering scandal that’s rocked the nation.

Bancroft announced on Twitter overnight that he has accepted the cricketing body’s decision and wants to begin work to earn back the public’s trust.

“Today I lodged the paperwork with Cricket Australia and will be accepting the sanction handed down. I would love to put this behind me and will do whatever it takes to earn back the trust of the Australian public,” he wrote.

Today I lodged the paperwork with Cricket Australia and will be accepting the sanction handed down. I would love to put this behind me and will do whatever it takes to earn back the trust of the Australian public. Thank you to all those who have sent messages of support

— Cameron Bancroft (@cbancroft4) April 4, 2018

He joins former team skipper Steve Smith who also announced yesterday he would not challenge his one-year ban, despite demands from cricket fans and commentators to reduce the penalties.

He tweeted: “I would give anything to have this behind me and be back representing my country. But I meant what I said about taking full responsibility as Captain of the team. I won’t be challenging the sanctions. They’ve been imposed by CA to send a strong message and I have accepted them.”

Former vice captain David Warner, who was named as the mastermind behind the ball tampering, is yet to decide whether he will challenge the penalty, but reports indicate he is the most likely of the trio to contest the ban and has already requested specific evidence from Cricket Australia to form his case.

Warner and Smith were each given a 12-month ban from the game, while Bancroft was handed 9-months for his part in the ball-tampering scandal during the third Test in South Africa.

An investigation by Cricket Australia found Smith, Warner and Bancroft where the only players who knew of the plan, and that Warner was the driving force behind it.

The players were given until Thursday to decide how they wanted to proceed. 

While Smith and Bancroft have professed their heartfelt regret for their parts in the scandal, Warner has been less forthcoming and drew the ire of the public when he failed the explicitly admit he devised the plan on his own accord.

During a press conference in Sydney last week, he admitted he had resigned himself to the fact he may never play cricket for his country again, and gave a tearful apology to his wife and children. However, he later avoided answering a series of questions from reporters and quickly left the room when asked whose idea it was the manipulate the ball by rubbing sandpaper on its side.

Reports soon surfaced that his cagey behaviour may have been caused by plans for a tell-all interview, and that he wanted to save juicy details for a big pay out from media.

Veteran journalist David Penberthy told Adelaide radio station FIVEaa he had heard from “senior media and PR circles in Sydney” that Warner’s team are planning a paid interview with a commercial station to make up for all the money he’ll lose not playing cricket for a year.

Do you think Bancroft made the right decision? What do you think Warner will do?