Vault locked on Cricket Australia’s inquiry into ball tampering scandal

Cricket Australia will not open another investigation or the transcripts of its first inquiry into the Cape Town scandal

Cameron Bancroft has provided no new information to Cricket Australia

Cricket Australia interim chief executive Nick Hockley says the transcripts of interviews with players after the Cape Town scandal will not be released or re-examined despite questions arising over the integrity of the investigation.

Cameron Bancroft suggested on the weekend that the bowling group knew about the ball tampering but the inquiry in 2018 limited blame to him, David Warner and Steve Smith.

The bowlers hit back on Tuesday denying the claim.

Hockley on Wednesday repeated his earlier position that while he had not read the transcripts of interviews compiled at the time by the integrity officer he was happy the investigation was thorough.

“People have served their time, the way the team has conducted themselves since has been exemplary,” he said.

“As far as we are concerned the investigation is closed and we move forward.”

Bancroft this week told Cricket Australia he had no new evidence to add to what he told the investigators at the time.

Australian captain Tim Paine on Wednesday backed his bowlers after they had released a statement the day before saying “we did not know a foreign substance was taken on the field to alter the condition of the ball until we saw the images on the big screen at Newlands”.

Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon all signed the statement.

“I think that the boys have made it really clear that their position on it hasn’t changed,” Paine said.

“They felt that they wanted to get that out there and that’s fair enough, an investigation was done three years ago and positions haven’t changed on that since. Our behaviour since then has been exemplary, so, it’s important that we keep looking forward and keep trying to be the best role models we can be. We want to keep looking forward and not backwards.

Paine believes Bancroft had no agenda going into the interview, which was published on the weekend in The Guardian UK.

“Some of the guys have spoken to Bangers, I don’t think it was intentional for him to do anything like that, I think he was just caught on the hop a little bit. It happens. The guys have responded and now we are looking forward to what is going to be a huge summer of cricket.”

The Australian captain reiterated that there was no sign of damage to the ball in the Cape town incident.

“The nail was hit on the head in that statement, the ball wasn’t even changed on the field, so there was no damage to it. If the umpires aren’t seeing it I’m not sure how the bowlers are supposed to see it,” he said.

“They’re frustrated that it keeps popping up but that is part and parcel of everyone who played in that Test match. It’s going to keep popping up and you have to get used to that.”

The bowlers statement claimed “some journalists and past players” had questioned their integrity.

Former captain Michael Clarke was outspoken on radio on Monday, saying it would be difficult for bowlers not to know if the ball was being tampered with. On Wednesday, after the release of the bowlers’ statement, Clarke defended himself.

“I think there have been a number of people, past players, journalists who have made comments based on what Cameron Bancroft said and then what David Saker, the bowling coach, as well had said. I think that is what’s really important after seeing the joint statement,” he said on his Big Sports Breakfast show.

“The one thing that stands out for mine in that statement (is) they forgot how this conversation was brought up.

“It was comments from a teammate Cameron Bancroft who was involved in the situation and then quotes from David Saker who was the bowling coach at the time. After journalists and past players like myself, Adam Gilchrist and Stuart Broad, a current player, had seen what was said and written, a lot of people have made comments.

“I think those guys and Cricket Australia need to remember how this conversation has been brought up so in their statement they should have added where it says: ‘We pride ourselves on our honesty. So it’s been disappointing to see that our integrity has been questioned by some journalists and past players’ — you probably should have put current teammate who was there at the time and did the crime and bowling coach who was there too. You probably left two people out.

“This statement is very smartly worded and written so I’m not going to sit here and continue to talk about every word in that statement.

“I’ve said what I’ve said. It certainly was not personal towards them. I said what I said because that’s what I believe.”

Paine denied the controversy would affect Bancroft’s chances of returning to the side.

“We don’t pick too many Test teams on what they say in the media, we pick Test teams on guys scoring runs and Bangers had a really good Shield year again and anything he’s said in England over the last few days won’t be held against him,” the captain said.

“We are all grown men and as I said those guys made contact with each other and sorted it out.”

Hockley said Cricket Australia had no “firm position” on whether Smith could return to the captaincy.