What was the sandpaper scandal?

The 2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal, also known as 'sandpapergate', was a notorious cricket cheating incident that involved Australian players tampering with the ball during a Test match against South Africa.

Australian batter Cameron Bancroft was caught tampering with the ball by rubbing it with sandpaper during South Africa's second innings of a third Test between the two sides.

Following the end of that day's play, Bancroft admitted he attempted to alter the condition of the ball, with Australia captain Steve Smith later admitting to having knowledge of it.

In the aftermath, Smith stood down as captain, and David Warner also stood down as vice-captain.

Australia's coach at the time, Darren Lehmann, also stepped down from his role at the end of that series. Lehmann was however cleared of any wrongdoing in Cricket Australia's review.

Smith and Warner were both given 12-month bans from international and domestic cricket by Cricket Australia, while Bancroft was handed a nine-month suspension.

Warner was deemed to be the orchestrator of the incident, showing Bancroft how to apply the sandpaper to the ball in order to change its condition.

Smith's suspension was for not taking steps to prevent the incident, having had knowledge of it.

Both Smith and Warner earned their places back in the Australia team before Warner retired from international cricket in 2024.

Smith has since become Australia's vice-captain under Pat Cummins. Due to Cummins' recent back injury, Smith captained Australia for the first Test of the 2025-26 Ashes series, which Australia won by eight wickets.

Bancroft briefly returned to the Australia team for the 2019 Ashes series shortly after his suspension lifted, but has not played international cricket since.

In 2021, Cricket Australia reportedly reponed an investigation into the case after Bancroft hinted that some bowlers knew about the incident.

Panesar, Celebrity Mastermind and 'pork chops'

Comments made by both sides at the start of the current Ashes series show just how topical the incident remains more than seven years on.

England's supporters, known as the Barmy Army, have often used the scandal as a point of ridicule for Smith and Warner, aiming chants of "we saw you cry on the tele" towards the two since their return from suspension in 2019.

Former England spinner Monty Panesar recently said England should make Smith feel "guility" about the incident.

In response, Smith aimed a jibe at Panesar regarding his appearance on Celebrity Mastermind in 2019, in which he only got one correct answer in the general knowledge round and six correct answers on his specialist subject, the history of Sikhism.

Panesar responded to Smith's jibe, saying: "We've both made mistakes. I made mine on a quiz show, he made his on a cricket field."

Australia's coach at the time, Lehmann, has also spoken on the recent debate and said England fans "should be better" than the "abuse" they've directed at Smith.

"The abuse you get is daily," Lehmann said. "It is unbelievable.

"He [Smith] is playing every day. It would be worse for him.

"In England they just don't forget. It is like they have never done anything wrong in their life.

"It is only the ones that drink too much and carry on like pork chops."

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