“Let’s Move On”, Says Michael Vaughan On The Ball-Tampering Scandal Being Dug Up Again

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has said that its time to move on from the infamous ball-tampering scandal that engulfed the Australian team in 2018. The 2018 Cape Town Test match between South Africa and Australia has been etched in history books for all the wrong reasons.

During that Test match, Australia opener Cameron Bancroft was caught on cameras, using something to scrub the ball and then hiding the said thing in his pants. The umpires had a lengthy discussion with Bancroft, captain Steve Smith, and vice-captain David Warner on the field, and Bancroft was made to empty his pockets.

At the end of the day, Bancroft accosted by Steve Smith, revealed in the press conference that he has used a piece of tape to pick granules of dust and rub it onto the ball to scuff it up. However, on further investigation, it was found that the Australia opener Bancroft was using a piece of sandpaper to scuff the ball to help the Australian bowlers generate reverse swing.

Cricket Australia then conducted their own investigation which revealed that Steve Smith and David Warner had come up with this plan, with Warner being the instigator and Bancroft was thrust with the responsibility of carrying this out. All the three players were immediately dropped from the Australian side and banned for 9 months (Bancroft) and a year each for Smith and Warner.

Smith was also stripped of his Australia captaincy and was banned from captaining Australia for two years and Warner was removed as vice-captain and was never to hold any leadership position for Australia ever again.

Of Course The Bowlers Knew About The Ball In Cape Town Test, But Its Time To Move On: Michael Vaughan

However, almost three years after the incident, Cameron Bancroft ignited new flames in the ambers of the controversy by indicating that the Australian bowlers in that Test – Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Marsh, and Nathan Lyon – knew about his wrongdoings on the ball. He said it was “self-explanatory” that bowlers were aware the ball was being tampered with.

Now former England captain Michael Vaughan presented his two cents on the issue and mentioned that of course the bowlers would have had knowledge that something was amiss with the ball. But he also said that it has been a long time since it happened and everyone must move on.

“So the bowlers potentially knew about the ball in Cape Town !!! Of course they did but surely that episode has been put to bed a long time ago … Let’s move on …,” Michael Vaughan tweeted.

So the bowlers potentially knew about the ball in Cape Town !!! Of course they did but surely that episode has been put to bed a long time ago … Let’s move on … #OnOn

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) May 17, 2021

Also Read: Don’t Think Anybody Is Surprised That More Than Three People Knew About It – Michael Clarke Reacts To Cameron Bancroft Revealing That Bowlers Knew About Ball-Tampering