Photo via Hindustan Times

How David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft’s evil tampering plot was caught on camera: ‘It was an absolute fluke’

South Africa and Australia begin their three‑Test series at Kingsmead, marking Australia’s first visit since the 2018 sand‑paper scandal that saw Cameron Bancroft, captain Steve Smith and David Warner caught tampering with the ball. The new series reignited discussion of that episode, and SuperSport’s Alvin Naicker explained that the 2024 footage of Bancroft’s ball‑shining was captured by sheer accident when a camera operator zoomed in on his pocket and a slow‑motion replay revealed the yellow sand‑paper spot.

The operator’s feed, combined with the stadium’s big‑screen graphics team, replayed the clip between deliveries, allowing officials to see the illicit material before Bancroft could hide it. The incident led to renewed bans for the three Australians, with Smith later stripped of the captaincy, and set the tone for a potentially volatile crowd at the opening Test.

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