Cameron Bancroft of Australia has been cleared to play club cricket. (Source: AP)
In a dramatic turn of events tainted Australian opener Cameron Bancroft has been cleared to play Premier cricket in Western Australia (WA). This was after 16 WA Premier Cricket clubs held a meeting to vote on the opener’s future. 14 votes went in favour of Bancroft as he was allowed to play for his club side Willetton. Bancroft, who is currently serving a nine-month ban for his involvement in the ball-tampering row in South Africa, was not present at the meeting.
WACA chief executive Christina Matthews addressed the media and said, “I’m pleased to announce the Western Australia District Cricket Council tonight approved Willetton’s application for an exemption to the rule that prevented Cameron from playing Premier Cricket this season.”
“It was strongly debated across a number of areas, but ultimately approved. It’s great news for Cameron and I’d like to congratulate the WADCC on their decision,” cricket.com.au quoted her saying.
“They were put in an awkward position by the sanctions in the first place and a lack of understanding of the rules that applied across Premier Cricket in Australia. But it’s good news for Cameron tonight.
“It was about a half-hour discussion. I think everybody knew the questions they wanted to ask and were prepared to sit and talk about them, and a positive outcome for all.”
Meanwhile, Matthews said the debate against allowing Bancroft an exemption was not personal to the opener. “It was the fact that there’s been other players who have had to serve out sanctions when sanctioned by Cricket Australia in other competitions,” Matthews said. “So it’s just reasonable debate and discussion about why it wouldn’t apply in this circumstance and how the circumstances were different,” Mathews concluded by saying.