One of the most damaging moments in Australian cricket history unfolded in Cape Town during March 2018, when a deliberate attempt to alter the ball's condition became public and triggered a chain of consequences that would reshape the sport's landscape for years to come.
For the first time since the scandal that became known as 'Sandpapergate', Australia are now preparing to face South Africa in a Test series. The controversy resulted in lengthy bans for Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, each of whom played a role in the scheme to manipulate the ball's surface. Australia's first Test tour of South Africa since the 2018 ball-tampering scandal begins in Durban on Friday, with the opening match running from October 9–13, 2026, at Kingsmead.
What exactly was 'Sandpapergate'?
The scandal took its name from the method used to tamper with the cricket ball during Australia's Test tour of South Africa in March 2018. On day three of the third Test in Cape Town, Bancroft was caught on camera attempting to rough up one side of the ball using sandpaper in order to make it swing through the air more effectively. The incident occurred while South Africa were batting in their second innings.
When Bancroft realised he had been spotted, he attempted to conceal the sandpaper by hiding it in his trousers, initially claiming to officials that it was a piece of tape. At the end of play that day, both Bancroft and Australia captain Smith admitted to ball-tampering during a press conference, though they did not initially acknowledge the use of sandpaper. Smith revealed that the plan had been devised by the team's 'leadership group' at lunch.
How the scandal unfolded
Smith and vice-captain Warner stepped down from their leadership positions for the remainder of the Cape Town Test but continued to play as members of the team. With Tim Paine now captaining the Baggy Greens, Australia suffered a heavy 322-run defeat after being dismissed for just 107 in their second innings. Warner top-scored with 32, Bancroft made 26 and Smith managed only seven.
All three players were sent home before the fourth Test, which Australia lost by 492 runs, resulting in a 3-1 series defeat. Cricket Australia's investigation found that Warner developed the plan, Smith knew about it and failed to stop it, and Bancroft carried it out and tried to conceal the evidence. Each player was subsequently found by Cricket Australia to have engaged in conduct against the spirit of the game and harmful to its interests.
The punishments handed down
Warner was determined to have orchestrated the plot to alter the ball's condition, including instructing Bancroft on how to use the sandpaper. He received a one-year international ban and was informed he would never be considered for a leadership position within the Australian team again.
Smith, who would eventually be succeeded permanently by Paine as captain, was suspended for 12 months after failing to prevent a scheme he was aware of and making misleading comments. He was also told he would not be eligible for a leadership role until at least 12 months after his ban concluded.
Bancroft received a nine-month suspension. Beyond the international bans, the ICC separately gave Smith a one-match suspension and a 100% match-fee fine; Bancroft received a 75% match-fee fine and three demerit points.
The wider fallout
Smith and Warner were removed from the 2018 Indian Premier League, where they were set to play for and initially captain Rajasthan Royals and SunRisers Hyderabad respectively. Bancroft's deal to play county cricket for Somerset was cancelled.
The damage extended beyond the three players directly involved. Australia coach Darren Lehmann, though cleared of any involvement in the ball-tampering scheme, chose to resign after the fourth and final Test against South Africa. High-performance boss Pat Howard and Cricket Australia board director Mark Taylor also resigned in the months after the scandal. Lehmann has since moved into county cricket, where he has been coaching Northamptonshire, leading the Steelbacks to the 2026 T20 Blast title.
Without Smith, Warner and Bancroft, Australia's Test team struggled. The side lost series away to Pakistan and at home to India before securing a 2-0 victory in Sri Lanka. Their comeback came with a 2-2 Ashes draw in England during the summer of 2019.
Debate over the severity of the bans
The punishments proved controversial. Some argued the sanctions were disproportionately harsh, including former India internationals Gautam Gambhir and Harbhajan Singh, broadcaster and ex-Hampshire captain Mark Nicholas, and the late Shane Warne.
Warne, the leg-spin legend who died in 2022, acknowledged it was "embarrassing" for Australia to be caught up in the scandal but felt worldwide "hysteria" resulted in a punishment "not fitting the crime".
Smith and Bancroft delivered emotional press conferences upon their returns to Australia after being sent home from South Africa. Bancroft later revealed he had seriously considered quitting cricket entirely and becoming a yoga teacher during his enforced break from the game.
All three players eventually returned to represent Australia, though their paths diverged. Smith continues to play for his country. Bancroft's international career, however, arguably never fully recovered; his two Tests at the start of the 2019 Ashes remain his last international appearances to date. Warner retired from international cricket in 2024.
Warner's captaincy ban proved less permanent than initially stated. He applied to have his lifetime leadership ban lifted in 2024, and it was ultimately rescinded, allowing him to lead Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League.
Smith's reflections on the scandal
Speaking to News Corp recently, Smith offered insight into the psychological toll the scandal took on him.
That was a traumatic experience in my life and when I hear the flash of a camera it makes me revisit that, in a way. The 24-48 hours after being told I was getting banned for a year, going through the airport in Johannesburg getting absolutely mobbed, and then flying back and doing a press conference... I still have little flashbacks here and there of it.
He described feeling abandoned during the immediate aftermath of the scandal.
I felt like I was kind of thrown to the wolves through [Johannesburg] airport. I didn't have any support there at all. It was certainly a difficult period, particularly the initial few days after. The mental state I was in was not great.
Despite the lasting impact, Smith has attempted to move forward.
That's somewhere I'd like not to get to again, but I certainly learned from that and have been able to move forward with my life. I've tried to kind of erase a lot of 2018 and what happened. I can't remember a lot about the series. I've tried to block most of it out of my memory bank.
What to expect when Australia returns to South Africa
Australia have visited South Africa since 'Sandpapergate' but only for white-ball cricket, with a proposed Test tour in 2021 cancelled due to Covid-19. The 2026 series marks their first return for Test cricket since the scandal. Before 2018, Australia had enjoyed remarkable success in South Africa, not losing a Test series there since 1970 and winning or drawing all seven series during the country's post-apartheid era.
England supporters famously teased their Ashes rivals after the ball-tampering scandal, with some dressing up as sandpaper to make their point. The question now is what reception Smith and the current Australian players can expect from South African supporters.
Former Proteas all-rounder Shaun Pollock, speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, offered his perspective on the likely atmosphere.
I don't think it'll be overly hostile. Over here, there's been quite a few replays of the [2018] series over the last few weeks, just to create a bit of animosity, I suppose, but when you play against Australia, people in South Africa won't need a reason to have a go at them about some particular reason. I'm sure there'll be a few people coming dressed up in accordance with 'Sandpapergate', I'm sure there'll be some continual reminding of it, but I don't think it'll be over the top or too intense.
Is there more to come?
While Cricket Australia's investigation concluded that only Warner, Smith and Bancroft were party to the plot, Bancroft suggested in a 2021 interview that the matter may not have been fully resolved. He stated it was "self-explanatory" that bowlers in the team would have had to be aware the ball was being tampered with. Cricket Australia indicated they remained open to investigating any new information that might emerge.
The scandal represents an episode Australia will likely wish to forget but may never be permitted to. The 2026 series provides an opportunity for the nation's cricket team to move beyond the shadow of 'Sandpapergate', though the memory will undoubtedly linger.
Upcoming matches in the series
The three-Test series between South Africa and Australia runs across October 2026. The first Test takes place October 9–13 at Kingsmead in Durban. The second Test is scheduled for October 18–22 in Gqeberha, and the third and final Test runs from October 27–31 in Cape Town, the very city where the scandal first erupted eight years earlier.
