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South African Store Mocks Australia With Hilarious Sandpaper Ban Ahead Of Test Series
M
Moneycontrol•09-10-2026, 19:56
South African Store Mocks Australia With Hilarious Sandpaper Ban Ahead Of Test Series
- •A South African supermarket, Pick n Pay Hypermarket, humorously announced that sandpaper will not be available on its shelves until October 31 ahead of Australia's tour.
- •The playful jab references the infamous 2018 Sandpapergate ball-tampering scandal involving the Australian cricket team in South Africa.
- •The first match of the three-Test series between Australia and South Africa begins at Kingsmead in Durban on Friday.
- •The 2018 incident led to lengthy bans for players Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft, alongside major team culture fallout.
Key Questions Answered
A South African supermarket, Pick n Pay Hypermarket, playfully announced that sandpaper would be removed from its shelves until October 31 in a jab at Australia's 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
During the March 2018 Test against South Africa in Cape Town, Australia opener Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball. An investigation revealed that vice-captain David Warner instructed Bancroft, and captain Steve Smith acknowledged that the team leadership had planned it.
Four members of Australia's 2017-18 bowling attack are part of the current unit: captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and off-spinner Nathan Lyon, none of whom were implicated in the scandal.
