Sandpaper Gate guilty Aussie opener eyes return to 2023 Ashes squad following super Shield show

Cameron Bancroft led Western Australia (WA) to back-to-back Sheffield Shield titles last week after beating Victoria in the final in Perth. The former banned Aussie opener had a stupendous Shield season, where he scored 945 runs in 20 innings at an average of 59.06, including four centuriesand one fifty. With the 2023 Ashes looming and considering David Warner’s poor recent run and a poorer record in England, Bancroft has pressed his case for a return to international cricket after four years.

WA’slegend and current coach Adam Voges heaped praises on the 30-year-old batter, saying he was leading to this point and had the right build-up going his way.
"Cameron's been building to a season like this for a little while now," WA coach Adam Voges said. "Technically, I think he's in a much better space than he has been previously."

Voges also said that Bancroft polished his skills and can grind for longer hours at the crease now. He added Bancroft is more technically sound and is aware of his strengths.

"He's always had those really remarkable powers of concentration and ability to bat for long periods and now that he's technically in a better place, I think that just allows him to be able to draw on that strength," Voges said.

As Bancroft will head to the English County to play four matches for Somerset, he will further improve his chances of breaking into the Australian team for the away Ashes later this year.

"The focus shifts pretty quickly from this onto that [county cricket]. The dreams and aspirations of playing higher are always there, and I'm sure they are for all cricketers but I just tried to finish this season off really well and then move on to the next lot of cricket I'm playing," Cameron Bancroft said.

As things stand, Australia have three openers fighting for the top two spot – Usman Khawaja, David Warner and Travis Head. Following the India series, where in absence of injured Warner, who returned home after the end of the second Test, make-shift opener Head impressed all alongside Khawaja, who further made headlines for his incredible outing after early failures.

The 2023 Ashes begin on June 16th in Birmingham.