"He protected his fellow players on my advice" - David Warner's manager makes shocking claim regarding ball-tampering fiasco
Australian opener David Warner's manager James Erskine has made an explosive claim that more than three players were involved in the ball-tampering saga of March 2018. Erskine's comments came after the left-handed batter withdrew his appeal to overturn his lifetime leadership ban.
The southpaw was understood to be the mastermind of the ball-tampering scandal, provoking Cameron Bancroft to apply sandpaper to the ball.
While then-skipper Steve Smith and Warner copped a year-long ban, Bancroft was suspended for nine months.
Speaking on SEN 1170 Afternoons, Erskine highlighted that more than three people were involved, but Warner protected all of them and continued playing. He stated:
"You’d have to be a blind black Labrador, there was far more than three people involved in this thing, they all got a canning and David Warner was completely villainized. He has shut up, he protected Cricket Australia, he protected his fellow players on my advice, because at the end of the day no one wanted to hear any more of it and he’s got on playing cricket."
Erskine further stated that the executives told the Australian players to adopt unfair means to win after a crushing loss against South Africa in Hobart in 2016. He added:
"The truth will come out, let me tell you. Two senior executives were in the changing room in Hobart and basically were berating the team for losing against South Africa and Warner said we’ve got to reverse-swing the ball. The only way we can reverse-swing the ball is by tampering with it And they were told to do it."
Australia suffered their third consecutive series loss at home to South Africa in 2016 after collapsing to 85 in the first innings. The Proteas eventually won the game by an innings and 80 runs.
"I think tampering with balls is a joke" - David Warner's manager
While Erskine is against ball-tampering, he said it has been going on for decades. He also conceded that the issue in 2018 got out of control due to the Australian Prime Minister's criticism. Erskine elaborated:
"I’m completely against it, I think tampering with balls is a joke, but it has gone on for centuries. Everybody has been fiddling around with balls and the penalty at the time by the ICC was a one-match ban. This was blown out of all proportion, partly because of the Prime Minister, but partly for the total reaction of the general public."
CONFIRMED: Cricket Australia has suspended Steve Smith and David Warner for 12 months following the ball tampering investigation.
Cameron Bancroft has been suspended for nine months.
Warner is also battling form issues, having not scored a Test hundred since January 2020.
Also Read: "We live it day-to-day, the pain doesn't go away" - Candice Warner breaks silence over husband's leadership appeal