- Published
According to the man who helped catch them, it was blind luck.
uncertain
it → publish → them
Sandpapergate, the scandal that engulfed Australia eight years ago, was blatant cheating played out in real time on live television to a global audience.
asserted
that → engulf → audience
As the Aussies prepare for their first Test series in South Africa since the ball-tampering controversy in Cape Town, the director of the TV coverage that day admits serendipity took down Steve Smith and co.
"The way the Australians were caught was an absolute fluke," Alvin Naicker, in charge of SuperSport's live broadcast from Newlands, tells BBC Sport.
asserted
Naicker → prepare → Sport
That the "leadership group" of the Australian team hatched their plan during the lunch break on that Saturday afternoon in March 2018; that an alert camera operator lingered on Cameron Bancroft when others would have turned their attention elsewhere; that the big-screen controller showed in the ground what was also being broadcast to millions around the world.
asserted
what → hatch → world
In understanding how Bancroft was rumbled, a little knowledge of how live cricket is shown on TV is helpful.
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cricket → understand → TV
It's camera one and two, then when the ball is dead you tell the story with close-up shots," explains Naicker, a highly respected and popular figure in the TV industry with more than 30 years' experience.
asserted
Naicker → tell → experience
"Because cricket has so much dead time, there is a lot more storytelling.
asserted
cricket → have → time
Captain Smith, vice-captain David Warner and opener Bancroft later explained they cooked up the ball-tampering plot during lunch on the third day of the third Test.
asserted
they → explain → Test
Reverse-swing had been a key factor in the first two Tests of a bad-tempered series: Warner clashed with Quinton de Kock in the first Test in Durban, then Smith was involved in an altercation with Kagiso Rabada in the second.
asserted
Smith → clash → second
Australia were exposed before the afternoon session was done, thanks to Naicker and his team.
asserted
session → expose → Naicker
"No one mentioned anything to me," says Naicker.
asserted
Naicker → mention → me
"The first Test in Durban spiralled out of control in terms of behaviour, then in Port Elizabeth for the second Test, there were still some fireworks going on.
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Test → spiral → Test
We still didn't understand."
asserted
We → understand → ?
Reports written live by ESPNCricinfo suggest the ball began reversing in the first hour after lunch, 35 overs into the South Africa second innings.
asserted
ball → write → innings
In the 43rd over, Bancroft was caught in the act.
asserted
Bancroft → catch → act
"The ball went to the wicketkeeper, then to Bancroft and he was shining the ball," says Naicker.
asserted
Naicker → go → ball
"First it was on his pants, then the next ball, the cameraman happened to stay on Bancroft because he was not shining the ball on his pants, but he was rubbing the ball on his palm.
"
asserted
he → happen → palm
When he threw the ball on, he put his hand in his pocket.
asserted
he → throw → pocket
The cameraman - and these are big, big lens cameras - he zoomed into his pocket.
asserted
he → zoom → pocket
The slow-mo operator looked at it, spooled it back and forth, then zoomed in and could see the yellow spot."
uncertain
operator → look → spot
1 of 2
Bancroft's work on the ball was not shown live, but as a replay later in the over.
asserted
1 → show → over
Inside Newlands, the operator of the big screen – working independently from Naicker – showed the same footage.
asserted
operator → work → footage
"They take a feed from broadcast but they also have to insert their own graphics and commercialisation," says Naicker.
asserted
Naicker → take → graphics
"Between deliveries they tend to stay with live play, then at the end of the over they go to their commercials or whatever in the stadium.
asserted
they → tend → stadium
It was quite fortunate that when we showed it, it was in between deliveries, not at the end of the over."
asserted
it → show → over
Bancroft would later admit he "panicked" when he saw himself on the big screen.
asserted
he → admit → screen
Comically, he hid the sandpaper inside his trousers.
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he → hide → trousers
SuperSport caught that, too.
asserted
SuperSport → catch → that
"When Bancroft looked up at the screen and saw it, he removed it and put it in his jocks," says Naicker.
asserted
Naicker → look → jocks
"The cameraman recorded it.
asserted
cameraman → record → it
It still wasn't live, we played a replay."
asserted
we → play → replay
Bancroft, with Smith by his side, was challenged by on-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Nigel Llong.
asserted
Bancroft → challenge → Illingworth
The opener turned out his pockets, revealing only a black bag for his sunglasses.
asserted
opener → turn → sunglasses
The ball was not changed and Australia were not given a run penalty.
asserted
Australia → change → penalty
Play continued, yet SuperSport were on to what had happened.
asserted
what → continue → ?
"Australia coach Darren Lehmann was on the walkie-talkie to 12th man Peter Handscomb, who went on to the field, then the umpires get involved," says Naicker.
asserted
Naicker → go → field
"An entire team of cameramen played their part.
asserted
team → play → part
They all told a story that I happened to put together with this great team of replay operators.
asserted
I → tell → operators
As for Naicker, there was no hesitation in airing what his team had captured, even with the realisation of the magnitude of what was unfolding.
"
asserted
what → be → magnitude
A lot of people who watch cricket on SuperSport will know we are quite brave in terms of being quite creative and editorially sound," he says.
asserted
he → watch → terms
…and 25 more, not listed.
The Aporia
