--- title: These Cricket Players Got Caught Red-Handed Cheating description: Australian cricketers were filmed tampering with a game ball in a match against South Africa — and the whole country is embarrassed. canonical: https://time.com/5218579/australian-cricket-cheating/ author: Raisa Bruner article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-03-28T14:57:07.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:51:41.128Z og:title: Cricket Players Caught on Camera Tampering With the Ball og:description: Welcome to Sandpapergate og:url: https://time.com/5218579/australian-cricket-cheating/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt96fad4188dc97925/69892c2abc6cfc1faa3e57da/cameron-bancroft-cricket-australia.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1800 og:image:height: 1013 og:image:alt: South Africa v Australia - 3rd Test: Day 4 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Cricket Players Caught on Camera Tampering With the Ball twitter:description: Welcome to Sandpapergate twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt96fad4188dc97925/69892c2abc6cfc1faa3e57da/cameron-bancroft-cricket-australia.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Cricket Players Caught Tampering With the Ball. 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Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Mar 28, 2018 2:57 PM UTC  CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - MARCH 25: Cameron Bancroft of Australia during day 4 of the 3rd Sunfoil Test match between South Africa and Australia at PPC Newlands on March 25, 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by EJ Langer/Gallo Images/Getty Images) CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - MARCH 25: Cameron Bancroft of Australia during day 4 of the 3rd Sunfoil Test match between South Africa and Australia at PPC Newlands on March 25, 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by EJ Langer/Gallo Images/Getty Images) Gallo Images—Getty Images  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Mar 28, 2018 2:57 PM UTC It’s a dark day for [cricket](http://time.com/4860661/google-doodle-cricket-world-cup/) in Australia. A trio of players have been [caught out on camera](http://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/the-who-how-why-and-when-of-the-ball-tampering-scheme-hatched-by-aussie-cricket-team/news-story/5fc6f535c42f84c1d1862e525abc063f) tampering with a ball in the midst of a match against South Africa, an incident now dubbed “Sandpapergate.” And fans are both flabbergasted and saddened that their [beloved sport](http://time.com/4701771/google-doodle-test-cricket-anniversary/) is now the site of national scandal. In a video captured of “fielder” Cameron Bancroft, Bancroft can be seen attempting to affix a piece of grit-coated tape to the ball that will be thrown to a “batsman.” He then disposes of the tape in his pants. The point of the tape trick was to change the trajectory of the ball in the air, unbalancing it and making it more difficult to hit. But when he realized that he was being filmed, [Bancroft said](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/28/sandpapergate-cheating-scandal-rocks-australian-cricket-it-beggars-belief-says-prime-minister/?utm%5Fterm=.1b761e2f9bee), he “panicked” and stuck it down his waistband. Unfortunately, the cameras were still rolling. Team captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and Bancroft have [all apologized](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/28/sandpapergate-cheating-scandal-rocks-australian-cricket-it-beggars-belief-says-prime-minister/?utm%5Fterm=.1b761e2f9bee) for their behavior, and are [being disciplined](http://www.cricketaustralia.com.au/media/media-releases/cricket-australia-statement-update/2018-03-28) by Cricket Australia with suspensions from play. Even Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was [moved to comment](https://www.cricket.com.au/news/steve-smith-cameron-bancroft-ball-tampering-quotes-adam-gilchrist-allan-border-prime-minister/2018-03-25) on the scandal. “It seemed completely beyond belief that the Australian cricket team had been involved in cheating,” Turnbull [said](https://www.cricket.com.au/news/steve-smith-cameron-bancroft-ball-tampering-quotes-adam-gilchrist-allan-border-prime-minister/2018-03-25). “After all, our cricketers are role models and cricket is synonymous with fair play. How can our team be engaged in cheating like this? It beggars belief.” The Australians lost to the South Africans [by 322 points](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/mar/25/south-africa-australia-third-test), too. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5218579/australian-cricket-cheating/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5218579/australian-cricket-cheating/"},"headline":"Cricket Players Caught Tampering With the Ball. Welcome to 'Sandpapergate.'","datePublished":"2018-03-28T14:57:07.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:51:41.128Z","description":"\"How can our team be engaged in cheating like this? 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