Travis Head reveals how he shut down ball-tampering discussion as South Australia captain after Sandpapergate

Travis Head has revealed that he shut down a dressing-room discussion about ball-tampering as South Australia captain after the 2018 Sandpapergate scandal. Head was 24 at the time and on the cusp of becoming a regular in the Australian side.

Some players had wondered whether the team needed to be more aggressive in preparing the ball amid suspicions that opponents were still pushing the boundaries. Head made his position clear, saying South Australia could remain at the bottom of the Sheffield Shield table but it had to play the game properly.

Head said that attitude has carried into the current Australian team. He believes captain Pat Cummins has helped create an environment in which players treat Test cricket as a game rather than a matter of life and death.