His return to Australian shores on Thursday evening coincided with former skipper Steve Smith touching down in Sydney, while David Warner broke his silence for the first time as he also heads home.
Bancroft addressed the ball-tampering scandal, which has consumed the cricketing world, in the brief press conference.
"Thank you very much for coming along everyone. I've had time to reflect on the events in Cape Town and on the punishments handed down to me by the ICC and CA," Bancroft said.
"I want to say that I'm also very sorry.
"I love the game of cricket and playing for my nation and my state. There's no greater pride for me.
"I'm extremely disappointed and regret my actions. I'm sorry to those people who have looked up to me in the cricket world and especially the kids.
"I know I'm a role model but haven't acted like one in this instance. I understand I have let many people down and I understand the disappointment in the community."
Cricket Australia have suspended Bancroft for nine months, ruling him out of playing for Australia or in Australian first class cricket until December. An exact date of his return has not been officially released.
After earning his place in the Test side prior to the recent Ashes series, Bancroft has played eight Tests in his short Australian career.
The findings of Cricket Australia's report pinned the incident on former vice-captain Warner as the architect of the plan to cheat, alleging he advised Bancroft how to alter the ball with sandpaper.
CA alleges Warner was solely responsible for the "development of a plan to attempt to artificially alter the condition of the ball", instructing "a junior player to carry out a plan", and providing "advice to a junior player regarding how a ball could be artificially altered, including demonstrating how it could be done".
CA also claims Warner failed to "voluntarily report his knowledge of the plan after the match", whereas Smith and Bancroft came clean.
ACA call for cultural review
On Thursday, the Australian Cricketer's Association responded to the sanctions handed down to the three players and cited "glaring and clear anomalies".
"Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft made very serious mistakes in South Africa," The ACA statement read.
"It is right that these mistakes are sanctioned, and that must occur in a fair and proper way.
"There are a number of glaring and clear anomalies in the process to date which causes the ACA to query the severity and proportionality of the proposed sanctions.
"These are:
"The grading and sanctions proposed are considerably higher than the ICC's grading and sanctions;
"The disproportionality between the proposed sanctions and those previously handed down in world cricket for 'changing the condition of the ball' — including by Captains of international teams applying artificial substances;
"The activation of CA's Board as a deliberative body on the proposed sanctions;
"That public statements by CA to date have not referenced consideration of contextual factors including the environment in South Africa during the series and the impacts on individual players;
"The rush to place players before the world's media last Saturday night without the benefit of considered and coherent advice.
"The ACA continues to provide welfare and legal support to all players.
"This welfare support will be critical at a time where the network and environment of each of the three players must play an active role in their rehabilitation.
"The ACA has called for the proposed cultural review to be fully independent and to consider all relevant factors and context surrounding these acts.
"The examination must also extend to CA's response and process following Saturday's events."
