Cameron Bancroft’s recall shows Australia are desperate to make up for the past | Geoff Lemon


Selectors have given the opener another chance as they attempt to break the link with ball-tampering

There are stock phrases we get used to in Australian cricket. “Play his natural game” has been given a bit of a rest since the rank batting collapses early this decade. “Not crossing the line” is heard less often since the sandpaper fiasco of 2018. But “banging the door down” is alive and well.

Bang the door down. That is what you are supposed to do any time you get dropped or skipped over. Go a level down, haul in the runs and wickets that demand your next elevation. Great in theory, rarely reflected in practice.

Related: Cameron Bancroft joins Smith and Warner in Australia’s Ashes squad

Continue reading...