Former Australian batsman Greg Blewett says he would be ‘absolutely mortified’ if coach Darren Lehmann was involved in the ball-tampering scandal

FORMER South Australian and Australian batsman Greg Blewett says he is “utterly embarrassed’’ at the ball-tampering scandal and would be “absolutely mortified’’ if coach Darren Lehmann was involved.

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FORMER South Australian and Australian batsman Greg Blewett says he is “utterly embarrassed’’ at the ball-tampering scandal and would be “absolutely mortified’’ if coach Darren Lehmann was involved.

“Knowing ‘Boof’ (Lehmann) very well I would be very, very surprised if he did know about it,’’ Blewett said of his former SA teammate.

“That would be my gut instinct. I would be absolutely mortified if ‘Boof’ knew anything like that was going on.’’

Umpires Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth confront Australia's Cameron Bancroft during day three of the third Test match in Cape Town, South Africa. Picture: Peter Heeger/Gallo Images/Getty Images

Blewett, who played 46 Test matches for Australia from 1995-2000 and is involved with the SACA high performance program, said he is “utterly embarrassed and shocked’’ at the level Australia stooped to try to get an advantage in the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town.

“I got up at 5.30am on Sunday with my little boy and started to go through my phone and woke up pretty quickly to some headlines coming through that were unbelievable,’’ he told Triple M.

“I rocked up to play golf with my head down because having played cricket for Australia I was embarrassed.

“I think a lot of players around are in complete shock about what happened, it is embarrassing.’’

Blewett, 46, worked with the Australian team as a fielding consultant before joining SACA last year and said he never saw anything “like this that went on’’.

“I know these guys individually and I am completely in shock that (captain) Steve Smith would even contemplate doing something like that,’’ he said.

Blewett said he wants answers as to “what happened with the leadership group’’ leading up to opening batsman Cameron Bancroft becoming the fall guy and trying to tamper with the ball.

“I’m sure this will come out, who was involved in the chat, but to assume that the coach knew, I m not sure that’s the case,’’ he said.

“We’ll have to wait to see what comes out there.’’

Blewett said he expects Cricket Australia’s sanctions against Smith, Bancroft and vice-captain David Warner to be harsher than those imposed by the International Cricket Council.

Smith has been suspended for the final Test against South Africa and fined his match payment.

Bancroft has lost three demerit points and fined 75 per cent of his match fee.

Blewett said the mess had seriously damaged Australian cricket's reputation.

“What we want from all of our sporting guys is to have red-hot crack but also to be good blokes doing it, I don’t think that’s too much to ask,’’ he said.

“When Smithy took over the captaincy he said he wants the Australian public to see our cricket team playing in the right spirit and right way and that hasn’t happened, which has been really disappointing.’’

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