Sandpaper in Underpants? Bancroft, Smith and Warner Banned

In a moment that has become a footnote in cricket history, Cameron Bancroft was filmed on the Saturday of the 2018 Cape Town Test shoving a sheet of sandpaper into his own underpants. The clip, which quickly went viral, prompted the authorities to hand out bans to Bancroft, Steve Smith and Dave Warner.

The footage showed Bancroft’s private act of “sand‑blasting” in a way that was both absurd and oddly theatrical, turning a routine test match into a spectacle of grit and humor.

Within days of the incident, the three players were each handed bans, a decision that left fans and commentators alike scratching their heads over the severity of the punishment.

While the ban itself was a serious consequence, the incident has become a running joke in cricket circles, with many now joking about adding a line‑check to future tours: “Do you have any sand‑paper in your kit?”