Australia’s chair of selectors George Bailey denies that Cameron Bancroft’s omission from the Test side has anything to do with the 2018 ball-tampering scandal. Bancroft has played Test cricket since serving his ban, but his comments about the fast bowlers’ knowledge of the incident led to a joint statement from the bowlers denying any involvement. Bailey emphasized that Bancroft’s omission is purely a cricketing decision and not related to the scandal. He acknowledged Bancroft’s strong case for selection based on his recent performance but explained that at the moment the selectors view Matt Renshaw as the next best batter in line. Bailey also mentioned Marcus Harris as unfortunate for missing out on selection. Bancroft expressed disappointment at the possibility of a non-traditional opener replacing David Warner, while Renshaw’s call-up positions him as the next in line for a top-order vacancy. Bailey also mentioned Aaron Hardie and Nathan McSweeney as potential candidates for the upcoming New Zealand tour.
