David Warner shamelessly revealed to England players how he scuffs the ball – as Stuart Broad questions whether Australia CHEATED during The Ashes
Australian opening batsman told defeated Ashes flops during post-series drinks how he used tape on his hand to gain advantage
STUART BROAD has questioned whether Australia CHEATED during The Ashes.
The England bowler labelled the Aussies hypocrites following the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
And Sunsport can reveal that Aussie batsman David Warner shamelessly revealed to a group of England players how he scuffs the ball.
Warner’s claim – that he uses substances attached to the strapping on his hand accelerate the deterioration of the ball– was made during the dressing-room drinks between the team after the Ashes series.
England players privately wondered whether the Aussies were using illegal tactics during their 4-0 series defeat.
Shamed Oz skipper Steve Smith was handed a one-Test ban after admitting Cameron Bancroft deliberately tampered with the ball in the Third Test defeat in Cape Town using a piece of tape covered with grit.
Warner stood down as vice-captain before the fourth day of the match against the Proteas as the scandal continued to rage.
Video footage later surfaced of Bancroft appearing to put sugar in his pockets during the Fifth Test win over England in Sydney in January.
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Broad, 31, said: “I saw Steve Smith say it was the first time they have tried it (using impregnated tape to tamper with the ball).
“To me, it’s surprising — why would they change a method that’s been working? If you look at The Ashes series we’ve just played, they reverse swung the ball in nearly all of those matches — sometimes in conditions where you wouldn’t expect the ball to reverse.
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“I don’t understand why they changed their method for this one game. But Steve said this is the first time they have tried it and we have to believe his words.”
Smith confessed on Saturday that the ball-tampering had been orchestrated by himself and senior players.
Smith and Warner batted as the Aussies were skittled for 107 in their second innings to lose to South Africa by 322 runs. As well as being banned from Friday’s final Test in Johannesburg by the ICC, Smith was also fined his £10,000 match fee. Bancroft was docked £7,500.
Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland has launched an investigation. The results are expected by Friday — with Smith and vice-captain Warner likely to cop lengthy bans.
An ill-tempered series has seen Australia complain about their players copping verbals.
Broad was targeted by Aussie coach Darren Lehmann before the 2013 Ashes tour after refusing to walk when he edged a catch.
Lehmann said: “I hope the Australian public give it to Broad. And I hope he cries and goes home.”
SunSport asked Broad if he thought Lehmann was a hypocrite. He replied: “That’s your word, not mine, but I would agree with you, yes.
“From the outside, it looks like Australia have started a lot of fights and then moaned when someone comes back.”
Stand-in skipper Tim Paine was asked how Smith, 28, and Bancroft, 25, were holding up.
He admitted: “Not great, the enormity of what’s happened is starting to sink in.”
Even Aussie Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull raged: “How can our team treat cricket like this? It beggars belief.”