PETER Handscomb was long seen as the messenger who told Cameron Bancroft he was caught on camera ball-tampering.

Television footage showed the 12th man speaking on a walkie talkie to then coach Darren Lehmann before - what was believed to be just moments later - running on the ground and talking to the opener.

But Handscomb on Friday revealed not only did he not mention the now-infamous piece of sandpaper to Bancroft when he ran onto the ground, but almost 30 minutes had lapsed since he spoke with Lehmann.

“I love that footage because it’s amazing how much the media edited it. It shows me on the walkie talkie then me running out and talking to Cam,” Handscomb told reporters.

“What happened was; I was on the walkie talkie, then 25 or 30 minutes later a player comes off because they needed to go to the bathroom, so as the next fielder I came on. I got put in a catching position next to Cam ... that’s why I was there.

“I was literally trying to have a joke with him. There was nothing else. It had been half an hour. We were talking about something else.”

When asked if Lehmann’s message was to say “what the heck is going on out there”, Handscomb said: “Pretty much, it’s been quite well documented.”

Lehmann was cleared of any involvement in the scandal following a Cricket Australia internal investigation.

CA boss James Sutherland said the investigation found Lehmann had told Handscomb: “What in hell is going on?”

“He didn’t use ‘hell’, he used another word,” Sutherland added.

Handscomb was one of three players to earn a Test recall after Bancroft, David Warner and Steve Smith were sent home from Cape Town in disgrace.

The 27-year-old played in the fourth and final Test of the tour, before going on safari in South Africa with his girlfriend, who he revealed he is now engaged to.

He said he is now ready to move on from the saga and focus on staking his claim on one of the ongoing vacancies in the Test side.

An Australia A tour of India next month will go a long way in determining the make-up of Justin Langer’s team to face Pakistan in the UAE in October - which will be Australia’s first Test assignment since the ball-tampering scandal.

“It’s been quite well documented how important this is for both bat and ball,” Handscomb said.

“There’s going to be guys really trying to take their opportunity and step up for Test selection.

“I’ll be doing the same to show that I am a good player of spin then hopefully set myself up for the Australian summer.”