Big Bash League: Nervous Bancroft flops on return from ban

Perth Scorchers' Cameron Bancroft takes a catch during a Big Bash League tie against Hobart Hurricanes yesterday. Pic/Getty Images

A nervous Cameron Bancroft's return from his nine-month ban for ball-tampering did not go to plan yesterday when he was out to the third ball he faced in the Big Bash League.

The disgraced batsman, 26, was picked in the Perth Scorchers team despite only having played club cricket since he was caught trying to use sandpaper to alter the ball in Australia's Test against South Africa in Cape Town in March. He came in at number four after the Hobart Hurricanes had reduced the Scorchers to 16-3 and played the first ball off his pads to square leg for two. Bancroft blocked another one before getting an edge off Riley Meredith to Matthew Wade behind the stumps.

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who was commentating on the game, said he spoke to Bancroft beforehand and he was "really, really nervous". "He was a little bit worried about the pace these boys might be bowling at him as he's only played club cricket for the past few months," he said.

"He said to me that even going out on this wicket he's sure everything was going feel like it's a Test match at the WACA," said Ponting, referring to the notoriously quick Perth ground.

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