A store in South Africa is removing sandpaper from the shelves ahead of Australia’s Test series

A South African supermarket has found a cheeky way to welcome Australia back to the country, eight years after one of the darkest episodes in the visiting team’s cricket history.

Hypermarket Pick n Pay has announced that the sandpaper has been pulled from its shelves until October 31, taking a sharp jab at Australia’s infamous ball-tampering scandal during the 2018 Test series in South Africa. Courtesy: X

The announcement comes right after South Africa’s opening Test match against Australia.

The Aussies are back in South Africa for a three-Test series, with the opening match starting at Kingsmead in Durban on Friday 9 October. It is their first Test tour of the country since the scandal that brought Australian cricket under intense scrutiny and led to the lengthy suspension of three of its players.

WHAT IS SANDPAPER?

The controversy unfolded during the third Test between Australia and South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town in March 2018. Australia were involved in a fiercely contested series when television cameras caught opener Cameron Bancroft attempting to change the condition of the ball with a piece of sandpaper.

The footage showed Bancroft rubbing the object against the ball before trying to hide it. The incident prompted an investigation by Cricket Australia and quickly escalated into a national scandal.

Our cameras will be sharp for this 3 match SA Test series in Aus | 1st test | October 9 | 9:30 CAT #SAvAUS #SSCricket SuperSport (@SuperSportTV) October 7, 2026

Afterwards, Australia captain Steve Smith subsequently admitted that the team management had discussed a ball-tampering plan. It was discovered that Vice-Captain David Warner had drawn up the plan and instructed Bancroft to carry it out.

Cricket Australia handed Smith and Warner 12-month suspensions, while Bancroft received a nine-month ban. Smith and Warner were also banned from leading roles for a period, while Warner’s restrictions were subsequently lifted in 2024.

The fallout exceeded three players. Australian coach Darren Lehmann announced he would step down after the series, while the episode sparked an uncomfortable debate about the team’s culture and approach to winning.

The scandal became known as Sandpapergate, a label that has followed Australian cricket ever since.

A RIVALRY THAT WILL NEVER BE SHORT

The 2018 series was marred by considerable on-field tension even before the ball-tampering incident came to light. Players from both sides exchanged verbal blows and the match became increasingly confrontational as Australia and South Africa battled for control.

The scandal ended up overshadowing much of cricket. South Africa won the four-Test series 3-1, but the controversy surrounding Australia’s conduct became the defining story of the tour.

Eight years later, the two sides return to a different cricketing landscape. Cummins now leads Australia while Smith and Warner are no longer the captain and vice-captain who were at the center of the controversy. Warner has since retired from international cricket.

Yet the memory of Cape Town still looms large whenever the teams meet, particularly on a tour that marks Australia’s first Test visit to South Africa since the incident.

The Pick n Pay Hypermarket sandpaper announcement is the latest example of how the episode remains part of rival folklore.

AUSTRALIA SEARCH CONTINUE

Australia will be looking to ensure that the three-Test series is remembered for their performances rather than the events of 2018. Cummins and his team arrive with considerable experience, although the team faces questions of its own as it seeks to maintain its position among the premier sides in Test cricket.

South Africa, meanwhile, will look to make the most of home conditions. The reigning World Test Championship champions have established themselves as a formidable team in the longest format and the series provides another opportunity to test themselves against a major rival.

There is a lot at stake on the field, but the surge has already shown that the past is not easily forgotten.

For Pick n Pay Hypermarket, the message was simple sports humor. For Australian cricket, it was a reminder of a controversy that refuses to fade from the public memory.

The sandpaper can be off the shelves until October 31st. It seems the jokes are still in circulation.

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