As criticism mounts over the ball-tampering controversy, it looks like every action of Australian cricketers in the recent past is being scrutinised by fans as well as the media.
Footage has emerged from the fifth Ashes Test match at Sydney in January, which allegedly shows Cameron Bancroft spooning sugar into his pocket. The footage has prompted social media users to question whether SandpaperGate was really Bancroft’s first attempt at cheating.
In the video, which has been circulated on social media over the weekend, Bancroft is seen in the tearoom spooning sugar into his hand before appearing to place it in his pocket.
The sugar may have been simply a sweet treat or used to sweeten his saliva to aid the ball to swing.
It is unclear what the sugar was used for, but social media users are alleging that it was used to tamper with the ball.
Many disgruntled England fans have suggested he could have used the coarse sugar crystals to scratch the ball.
All eyes are on the Australian cricket team after captain Steve Smith admitted that the “leadership group” devised a plan for Cameron Bancroft to tamper with the ball in the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town.
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