Amidst all the mayhem, his achievement was forgotten.
The Sandpapergate controversy in 2018 shook the entire cricket fraternity when Australia captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were found guilty of the infamous scandal.
However, in that match, veteran Aussie star Nathan Lyon got his 300th wicket by dismissing Proteas pacer Kagiso Rabada. Despite that, he couldn’t keep the match ball as it was confiscated by the ICC for investigation purposes. Amidst all the mayhem, Lyon’s achievement was forgotten.
Speaking ahead of the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy, Lyon told News Corp,
“(Kagiso) Rabada stumped was my 300th wicket. It was at the Cape Town Test. I haven’t seen that ball since, unfortunately. Yeah, I think with everything that happened that game, they took it to have a look at it all”.
Nathan Lyon also shared that he has preserved mementos from each significant milestone in his career, including his first Big Bash League wicket, his debut five-wicket haul in Tests, and other notable achievements. The only spot yet to be filled is for his 300th wicket.
During the third Test against South Africa at Newlands, young cricketer Cameron Bancroft was seen using sandpaper to roughen the ball. The on-field umpires quickly intervened, leading to a nine-month ban for Bancroft and a 12-month suspension for both Steve Smith and David Warner.
As a result of the incident, leadership changes followed, with Tim Paine appointed as captain and Justin Langer brought in as head coach.
Apparently, Lyon had tried to locate the ball afterwards, asking ICC match referee David Boon for assistance. However, Lyon mentioned that Boon’s efforts to gather information proved unsuccessful, and the ball’s whereabouts remain unknown.
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