Sports

Ball-tampering report should be made public: Ex-Aus assistant coach

The ball-tampering report that led to bans on batsmen David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft should be made public, said David Saker, who was Australia’s assistant coach in scandal-hit 2018 Cape Town Test.

Sentinel Digital Desk

SYDNEY: The ball-tampering report that led to bans on batsmen David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft should be made public, said David Saker, who was Australia's assistant coach in scandal-hit 2018 Cape Town Test.

"I can't see any point why it wouldn't be released, but that's up to Cricket Australia and the way they want to handle that," Saker told media just after being appointed as coach of Melbourne Renegades men's team. "These questions keep coming up, if it's released then maybe the questions might stop but I don't think they will."

Last month, Bancroft had hinted that Australia's bowlers, who were given the clean chit, could also have been involved in the scandal.

Bancroft's claim led to a strong statement from bowlers — Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon — who played that match. They said they had no knowledge of tampering.

Saker too added he had no knowledge of tampering.

"I have said everything about it I have seen. I had no idea there was any sandpaper involved. As far as we knew, we were using normal tactics to get the ball reverse swinging," added Saker.

"So, if other people have got other things that they saw or did, they can come out and say it at a later stage but I've said everything that I've seen."

"We have all gone in and done our bit so I cannot see it going any further, but the questions will keep coming. There is no doubt about that, but that's just a part of life, you got to deal with that but it's never going to go away, that's for sure." IANS