ball tempering

JOHANNESBURG: Australia captain Tim Paine believes a change in culture for a team “with our heads in the sand” will be the biggest positive to take from an otherwise dismal 3-1 test series loss to South Africa. The side have been rocked by a ball-tampering scandal in which former captain Steve Smith, his deputy David Warner and batsman Cameron Bancroft were sent home after the third test and handed hefty bans. But that was not the only issue for a team who had five players sanctioned during the series and they have…

A remorseful Cameron Bancroft fronted up to the media on his arrival back in Australia and apologised for his role in the ball-tampering scandal that engulfed Australia during the third Test in Cape Town last week. Bancroft was banned by Cricket Australia for nine months after being caught on camera treating the ball on the third day of the Test with what was later revealed to be sandpaper. Steve Smith and David Warner, the team’s captain and vice-captain respectively, were banned for 12 months for their role in the…

GALLE: South African bowler Vernon Philander has been fined 75 per cent of his match fee for ball-tampering after an incident during the ongoing Galle Test, ARY News reported.