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Travis Head has revealed how he shut down a discussion about ball-tampering while serving as South Australia captain, explaining why the lessons of Australia's infamous 2018 scandal continue to influence the way he approaches the game.
Travis Head was only 24 when the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal hit Australian cricket. At the same time, Head was leading a South Australian side that had endured several difficult seasons in the Sheffield Shield. Against that backdrop, Head recalled being confronted with suggestions that South Australia needed to be more aggressive in preparing the ball for reverse swing as some players believed opponents were doing same.
I made a pretty strong stand at that point - Travis Head on blocking teammates' ball-tampering plan
Travis Head did not want the frustrations of losing matches or South Australia's poor run to become an excuse for crossing the line. He said he made it clear that anyone attempting to manipulate the ball would not have a place in his team.
"I made a pretty strong stand at that point, and I was captain at the time, that they weren’t going to be in the dressing room if that’s the case, if that’s what [they want to do]. didn’t care what other teams did. I didn’t care if we were facing it," Travis Head told The Sydney Morning Herald.
The Australian batter said his stance was shaped by watching the consequences faced by his close friends and the wider Australian team following the Cape Town incident.
“I just knew what a couple of close friends had gone through, and knew what the [Australian] team had gone through, and the flow-on effect of that. I don’t care if we’re bottom of the table, as long as we play the game the right way. That was my opinion, and still is my opinion.”
Pat’s always said it’s a game, and it’s not do or die - Travis Head
Travis Head also pointed to the philosophy instilled by current Australia captain Pat Cummins, who has consistently encouraged the team to keep results in perspective. For Head, accepting defeat without allowing pressure to dictate behaviour is an important part of playing international cricket.
"It’s driven from Pat. Pat’s always said it’s a game, and it’s not do or die. If South Africa play really, really well, and we lose 3-0, that’s OK; it’s not the end of the world. We’ll wake up tomorrow. I think that then brings in, I guess, that freer side of yourself to go out and express yourself."
Travis Head believes excessive pressure can affect teams and make players more tense, something opponents can exploit.
"We’ve seen other teams around the world hold on to certain things or think it’s the most important thing they’ve ever going to do, and sometimes you can play on that. You can see that they get tense and feel pressure, and you never play better when you’re tense and feel pressured.”
He also spoke about the intense scrutiny modern cricketers face, arguing that players need to maintain perspective despite the constant criticism.
“Yes, we’re playing in front of billions of people. Yes, it’s important. Yes, everyone’s got you scrutinised to the absolute tip of it, every single day. The game’s changed a lot over even the little period that I’ve played it.
“It’s not just ‘they batted well and they bowled well’. It’s their career is over. That team’s s#it. That team’s not. Do you know what I mean? So the storylines of media now is through the roof. So if you can’t enjoy it within the four walls, then you’re never going to. That’s the one little piece that we’ve got to keep it sane, I guess, because everything around us is pretty much chaos.”
What happened in the Sandpapergate Scandal?
The Sandpapergate scandal erupted during Australia's 2018 Test against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town. Cameron Bancroft was caught on television using sandpaper to attempt to alter the condition of the ball, with Steve Smith later admitting that the leadership group had discussed the plan.
The fallout was severe. Smith and David Warner were suspended from international and domestic cricket for 12 months, while Bancroft received a nine-month ban. Warner was found to have been involved in developing the plan, while Smith was held responsible for failing to prevent it.
Also Read:Travis Head breaks silence on becoming Australia's next captain
