Banned Australian batsman Bancroft cleared to play club cricket

Australia batsman Cameron Bancroft has been cleared to play club cricket while serving a nine-month ban for ball-tampering. Under Western Australia Premier Cricket rules, any ban by Cricket Australia applies to club cricket. However, the 16 Western Australia clubs voted to allow Bancroft to play at a meeting on Monday (May 14). Bancroft incurred the suspension from Cricket Australia for his part in the ball-tampering controversy which engulfed Steve Smith’s side during the Cape Town Test against South Africa two months ago. Then captain Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner were both banned for a year. BBC reports that Smith and Warner are also free to play with their club sides in New South Wales - who do not automatically enforce bans by Cricket Australia.