Bancroft reveals he almost gave up cricket for yoga

SYDNEY: Disgraced Australian player Cameron Bancroft Saturday said he was a vastly different person to the one caught ball-tampering and revealed he considered walking away from cricket to become a yoga teacher.

A day after Steven Smith re-emerged into public life with a press conference in Sydney, Bancroft has also broken his silence a week ahead of his ban running out.

He did so in the form of a long letter addressed to his former self, published in the West Australian newspaper, describing his emotional journey since.

In it, Bancroft describes the major influence Australian coach Justin Langer has had on him, along with West Australian mentor Adam Voges.

“On your way to present your case to your coach you realise this is the moment when you begin to become OK with the thought of never having cricket as part of your life again,” he wrote in the self-addressed letter.

Yoga became an important part of his life in exile while dealing with an absence of cricket, to the extent that he considered quitting the game to become of a teacher of the discipline.

“Maybe cricket isn’t for you, you’ll ask yourself... will you return? Yoga will be such a fulfilling experience,” he wrote.

Bancroft ultimately decided to pursue his cricket career and is due to make his comeback in the Big Bash Twenty20 League for the Perth Scorchers on December 30.