Cameron Bancroft has served the nine-month ban from international cricket. (Source: File)Australian cricketer Cameron Bancroft’s nine-month ban for the ball tampering episode expired on Saturday and he was immediately included into the squad of the Big Bash League franchiser Perth Scorchers, who will clash against Hobart Hurricanes on Sunday. The 26-year-old, who was suspended from international and stage cricket after being found guilty of attempting to tamper a ball in the 3rd Test against South Africa at Newlands in March, took to Instagram and said that it has been a learning nine months for him.
“What a journey this has been over the last 9 months. For me, in what seemed like troubled times in April can remember lying in bed feeling for some thing. Some inspiration and motivation to get me out of bed. After thinking, reading, wondering and living it came to me that I had a choice,” he wrote.
“To lay in suffering or get up, show up and act. Action led to motivation and motivation gave me all the inspiration I needed,” the batsman added.
The right-handed batsman further said that he is happy to be where he is at the moment. “Here I am now. Grateful of where I am and the person I continue to grow to be,” he said.
“Thank you to every person, group, team and community I have come across over the last 9 months. You know who you are,” he added.
Perth coach Adam Voges said that it is great to have Bancroft back in the squad. “It’s great to have Cam back in the squad again. It’s been a long year for him and now he can move forward and get back to playing cricket at a high level,” Voges was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. “He’s been pretty excited to be back so he’ll bring energy and experience into our batting line up,” he added.
Bancroft had recently pointed towards former vice-captain David Bancroft in an interview as the initiator of the ball tampering scandal and said that he did not know any better when he was approached to be a part of the scheme. “Dave [Warner] suggested to me to carry the action out on the ball given the situation we were in in the game and I didn’t know any better. I didn’t know any better because I just wanted to fit in and feel valued, really — as simple as that,” he told Adam Gilchrist in a chat.
Warner along with former skipper Steve Smith were both banned for 12 months after being found guilty in the episode.
