Disgraced Australian cricketer Cameron Bancroft, who has been banned from international cricket for nine months by Cricket Australia in connection with the ball-tampering scandal, on Wednesday revealed that it was former Aussie vice-captain David Warner, who encouraged him to tamper with the ball.

Bancroft further said he tampered the ball in the ill-fated Cape Town Test against South Africa because he wanted to “fit in” and feel “valued” in the Australian squad.

“Dave (Warner) suggested to me to carry the action out on the ball, given the situation we were in the game, and I didn’t know any better,” Bancroft was quoted as saying in an interview, conducted by former cricketer Adam Gilchrist for Fox Cricket. “I didn’t know any better because I just wanted to fit in and feel valued really. As simple as that.”

Bancroft is just days away from completing his nine-month ban imposed by Cricket Australia in March this year.

Speaking about his decision to tamper the ball while accepting his mistake, Bancroft said, “The decision was based around my values, what I valued at the time and I valued fitting in. You hope that fitting in earns you respect and with that, I guess, there came a pretty big cost for the mistake.”

The 26-year-old Aussie cricketer also owned up the mistake he made.

“I take no other responsibility but the responsibility I have on myself and my own actions because I am not a victim. I had a choice and I made a massive mistake and that is what is in my control.”

While discussing what would have happened if he had refused to tamper the ball, Bancroft said, “I would have gone to bed and I would have felt like I had let everybody down. I would have felt like I had let the team down. I would have left like I had hurt our chances to win the game of cricket.”

On the analysis review of the incident, Bancroft said, “The reason why it was painful is because the truth hurts. Maybe in that review, there were some truths that were pretty hard to accept.”

“What does that bring? It brings an amazing opportunity to do something about it. Only Cricket Australia will know if they are being true to themselves, to be able to own up to some of those recommendations,” Bancroft said, before adding, “If they can look at themselves in the mirror and be really content and be really peaceful, and proud of the direction they’re going, that’s OK.”

“If they aren’t, like me, that value will always come undone won’t it? It will present itself in the face to you and you’ll have to learn another lesson,” Cameron Bancroft concluded.