Captain Cam wins veteran's support

Shaun Marsh believes Cameron Bancroft will demand high standards of his new Durham teammates in his first major captaincy tenure, but suggests he may have to wait to take on a full-time leadership position back home. 

Durham sprung something of a surprise this week by appointing overseas signing Bancroft as skipper for both their County Championship and one-day sides for the upcoming season in the United Kingdom.

Fellow Cape Town conspirators Steve Smith and David Warner last year copped sanctions preventing them from holding leadership roles in Australian cricket, but Bancroft was only hit with a nine-month playing suspension that lapsed in December.

The opener has taken the captaincy reins at his Perth Premier Cricket club Willeton this season, earning praise for his hands-on approach during his exile from the top flight.

He could captain England star Ben Stokes in the coming months should the fiery Durham allrounder fit in an appearance with the county during a busy northern summer.

Marsh captained Bancroft at Western Australia before his younger brother Mitch took the reins and tipped him to make a positive impact with his new side.

"He's a fantastic bloke, he's obviously a really good leader in his own right and I'm sure he'll do a really good job over there," Marsh said after Australia's eight-wicket first ODI win over Pakistan in Sharjah.

"I think he'll demand a lot of hard work. He's a really good guy, a really good cricket brain.

"He'll tackle it with both hands, that's what 'Bangers' is. He'll be getting over there, having a crack and I'm sure he'll do a really good job."

Durham confirmed the signing of Bancroft for the 2019 season last August, only months after he was dumped by fellow county side Somerset as their international player for the 2018 northern summer.

"We're confident he has the attributes to lead this exciting young Durham dressing room," said coach Durham coach James Franklin.

"He's proven since returning to first-class cricket over the last few months that he has the mental toughness, skill and attitude to excel at the highest level."

Former Australia Test batsman Marcus North, who had previously labelled Bancroft's role in the ball-tampering scandal as out of character, is Durham's director of cricket and an ex-teammate of Bancroft's.

Bancroft will have the chance to make a case for an Ashes recall in the UK following an impressive return in Australia.

He has averaged 56 in the JLT Sheffield Shield since his ban expired and Marsh, who was part of Australia's Test team when the Newlands scandal erupted, believes he's handled his return well.   

"He's been fantastic," he said of Bancroft. "It's great to see him back playing and doing well.

"He's a terrific young man and he's back doing what he loves doing, it's great to see."

Any leadership ambitions of Bancroft back in WA however might have to be put on hold for the time being.

Marsh's younger brother Mitch is the current captain of the Warriors and recent ODI debutant Ashton Turner is his deputy.

"I'm not too sure," Shaun Marsh said when asked if Bancroft could skipper WA one day. "If the opportunity arose, I'm sure he'd do a really good job.

"But Mitch and 'AT' (Turner) are there at the moment and doing a really good job."