Image Credit- X
Australia’s bowlers from the controversial 2018 Cape
Town Test, including current captain Pat Cummins, are not a problem, according
to Cameron Bancroft, who also feels he owes it to his country to succeed at
opening the batting.
Following David Warner’s retirement in Sydney,
Bancroft, the top run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield the past two years, is
among the contenders to start at the top of the order for the West Indies
series.
After the ball-tampering fiasco, Bancroft has played
two Ashes Test matches. However, his remarks in a 2021 interview suggesting
that the bowlers must have known what was happening infuriated them so much
that they issued a joint statement denying any knowledge of the plans.
Despite not being a selector, Cummins has discussed
the opening informally with Bancroft, who is certain that enough time has
passed for everyone to move on and be able to play together.
“It’s his cricket team, he’s the captain. No
doubt he’s got his feelings and opinions and things like that,” Bancroft
told reporters in Sydney ahead of facing his former BBL club Perth Scorchers.
“Knowing Pat as well, he’s a professional too and I have no issues that he
wouldn’t be very logical and professional around making that decision.
“I still run into those players plenty of times
over the last couple of years. I’ve certainly felt nothing but business as
usual with how you interact with people. What’s happened in the past has been
and gone now. I know those guys feel the same.
“The Australian cricket team has moved forward,
they’ve been really successful. I’ve also moved forward with my cricket and my
career also, trying to work on my own game as a cricketer and to work on myself
as a human being. They play their cricket in the same brand as well and I feel
like it wouldn’t be an issue should I come into the environment.”
Similar to Warner and Steven Smith, Bancroft returned
to the Test team shortly after his suspension ended, however he was benched
after opening the first two Tests of the 2019 series against England with
Warner. The following home summer, he was back in the mix for squads before
slipping in the rankings, although his performance in the previous two seasons
has made a strong case for a recall.
“The past has been a great ground to learn things
about myself,” he said. “I feel like I definitely owe it to my
country to put those lessons into play. I’ve always tried to learn from the
past and put that into place for the future and be better as a cricketer and as
a person.
“We all make mistakes in the world and I’ve
definitely done that in my playing career. It’s pretty obvious that’s been the
case for me. One of the lessons I’ve probably learned over the time is to take
control of your own actions and responsibilities.”