A South African supermarket has taken a dig at Australia’s infamous ball-tampering scandal by announcing that sandpaper has been removed from its shelves until October 31.
Pick n Pay shared the tongue-in-cheek message on Instagram as Australia returned to South Africa for a Test series, reviving memories of the controversy that rocked Australian cricket in 2018.
“Please note: All sandpaper has been removed from our shelves until 31st October. You know just in case”
The post referred to the incident widely known as “Sandpapergate”, which unfolded during Australia’s Test tour of South Africa in March 2018.
During the third Test in Cape Town, Australian cricketer Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera using sandpaper to rough up one side of the ball in an attempt to alter its movement through the air.
After realising he had been spotted, Bancroft attempted to conceal the sandpaper in his trousers. He initially claimed the object was a piece of tape.
Following the day’s play, Bancroft and then-captain Steve Smith admitted to ball-tampering during a press conference. Smith said that the plan had been devised by the team’s “leadership group” during lunch.
An investigation found that David Warner had led the plan and guided Bancroft on how to use the sandpaper.
The scandal resulted in lengthy suspensions for all three players. Smith and Warner received 12-month bans, while Bancroft was suspended for nine months.
Smith was also barred from taking a leadership role until at least 12 months after his suspension ended, while Warner was told he would never be considered for a leadership position within the team again.
The fallout also affected their domestic and international careers. Smith and Warner were removed from the 2018 Indian Premier League (IPL) where they were due to play for Rajasthan Royals and SunRisers Hyderabad, respectively. Somerset also cancelled its deal with Bancroft to play county cricket.
