Cameron Bancroft to be Durham's overseas player in 2019

Durham have signed Australia batsman Cameron Bancroft as their overseas player for 2019.

The opener was handed a nine-month ban by Cricket Australia earlier this year for the part he played in the ball-tampering episode that engulfed the Baggy Greens' tour of South Africa.

Bancroft, who admitted to altering the condition of the ball using sandpaper, was due to play for Somerset in 2018 but had his contract withdrawn following the scandal.

The 25-year-old will play for Durham in all formats next season, replacing New Zealand's Tom Latham as the club's main overseas professional.

"I am excited to join Durham for the 2019 county season," said Bancroft, who has previously played county cricket for Gloucestershire. "Having played at Emirates Riverside, I know what a great place it is to play cricket.

"With the Ashes and ODI World Cup both being played in the UK in 2019, it will be a huge summer of cricket. I am grateful for the opportunity and I can't wait to get over and make an impact with Durham."

Durham head coach Jon Lewis said of Bancroft, who has played eight Tests and one Twenty20 international for Australia: "Cameron provides us with a very talented overseas signing who can bulk up our batting line up and help us compete for silverware.

"Tom Latham has done a great job for us over the past two seasons but we anticipate Tom being unavailable due to the World Cup in 2019, therefore we were delighted to be able to bring Cameron in.

"Cameron is a talented top order batsman and a great talent across all formats, he has the appetite and temperament for scoring big runs."

Durham chief executive Tim Bostock defended the club's move for Bancroft and insisted they have done their due diligence on the player.

Asked how difficult the decision to sign him had been, Bostock told Press Association Sport: "It's purely a cricket decision. Everybody makes mistakes and he was punished for it, and obviously he has served that suspension.

"It was a cricket decision, but it's important that we look at the character of individuals as well and we're very happy that Cameron will add an awful lot to our dressing room in the right sort of way."

He added: "The time he's had off has been very sobering for him. He certainly realises he's made a huge mistake.

"He's been punished for that, quite rightly. From January 1, he will be available to play cricket wherever he wants to play cricket - and in fact, he could have played cricket in England this year. He was only banned in Australia.

"Cameron is looking forward to getting back out on the field - that's where his real passion is, playing cricket."

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