Smith and Bancroft play blame game

AUSTRALIA have been going through the mill since Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were banned in March over the ‘sandpapergate’ cheating scandal. The Test team has played six matches since — winning just one, and with an aggregate of just 1,280 first-innings runs. In the six matches immediately before that, Australia’s first-innings aggregate was a staggering 2,487 runs. Smith and Bancroft have been pointing fingers as they serve their bans. Bancroft left no one in any doubt in a TV interview that Warner masterminded the deceit. WHAT THEY SAID Steve Smith I walked past something and had the opportunity to stop it and I didn’t do it and that was my leadership failure. Cameron Bancroft Dave suggested to me to carry the action out on the ball. I didn’t know any better. There came a pretty big cost for the mistake. David Warner (soon after being banned) I failed in my responsibility as vice-captain of the Australia cricket team. I have let you down badly.