Bharat: Sandpapergate was biggest overreaction in the history of sport

Bharat Sundaresan longs for the day the world stops talking about sandpapergate calling the scandal the “biggest overreaction in sport history”.

On the eve of the Australian cricket team returning to South Africa for the first time since the 2018 fiasco; reflections, memories and opinions are being shared about the incident which changed the sport in Australia forever.

The scandal needs little background such is its infamy. A ball-tampering scandal known around the world after Cameron Bancroft was caught on TV using yellow sandpaper to rough up the ball.

The vision was followed by both Bancroft and then captain Steve Smith admitting they had plotted to alter the state of the ball to gain an unfair advantage.

Before long, David Warner was outed as the mastermind of the plan.

The reaction to the event was like nothing seen in sport.

All three players were handed bans, endured shocking levels of abuse and suffered significant damage to their reputations and careers.

For Sundaresan, the level of vitriol directed at the players was unacceptable.

“It was a sunny, late afternoon in Mumbai and I remember the clip being played just after an ad break,” he said. “No one outside of Australia expected it to change cricket forever.

“As an outsider at that point, it taught me so much about how Australians view the cricket team and the extraordinary moral level they are held to.

“I call it the biggest over reaction in the history of sport. The fact that this whole country – including the PM – wanted to bring down these three men who had done something cricketers around the world are always trying to do.

“From the outside it looked like they had indulged in treason or been accused of bringing the whole country down.

“Even South Africa have spoken about how surprised they were by the reactions. The fact it became such a big thing, they were stripped of everything. Warner could not even get though an airport holding his child.

“The fact they were not allowed to play cricket for 12 months; I thought it was ridiculous then I still think it’s ridiculous now and I honestly wish we would stop talking about Sandpapergate.”