Bancroft decision to leave Scorchers "incredibly difficult."

The Sydney Thunder announced yesterday Cameron Bancroft had joined the club on a three-year deal after eight seasons with the Scorchers, including winning last season’s BBL title after missing out on selection in the club’s 2014/15, 2016/17 and 2020/21 triumphs.

Bancroft told Sports Breakfast greater playing opportunities were a major reason for his shift to Sydney.

“It was obviously a really difficult decision. Definitely felt lots of different emotions going through the whole process,” Bancroft said.

“I’ve probably had a little bit of a frustrating time the last few seasons and I just felt like it was a really good time after winning the title and experience what I did last year to start a new chapter.

“There’s obviously the sadness that comes with it, I’m human like everyone else, but I’m really looking forward to the next challenge that lies ahead of me.”

Bancroft will reunite with David Warner, who he was embroiled in the 2018 ball-tampering saga with, at the Thunder, but he said there were no issues between the pair.

“The past is the past,” he said.

“To be honest, I didn’t really think of it. I just wanted to look for the right opportunity for me.

“I’m looking forward to playing with him. I’ve not played T20 cricket with Dave, his record and skills speak for themselves, so should he be available, it’ll be nice to watch him go about his business and maybe put on some runs together.

WACA CEO Christina Mathews said last month Bancroft would be difficult to retain under Scorchers’ salary cap despite an exceptional individual tournament last year where he posted 357 runs at an average of 51 after missing out on selection in the first five games.

Bancroft said a number of different factors had led to his departure.

“I think in decisions like this, when you’re going through the process of it all, it’s a very holistic approach,” he said.

“There was lots of different pieces of the puzzle and they were all as equal as each other in the process.

“As a batter and as a cricketer, you want to play, so that was a really important factor.”

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