"It's alleged that I was tampering with the pitch" - Wade disappointed over suspension for pitch tampering

Mathew Wade had to watch from pavilion as Victoria suffered an innings defeat to Western Australia

Mathew Wade was suspended for a Sheffield Shield match as he was found guilty of pitch tampering. Umpires Ian Lock and Sam Nogajski found Wade was tampering the pitch and finally they suspended him for one match against Western Australia. He was also fined 50% of his match fee for breaching Cricket Australia’s code of behaviour.

However Wade has said that he was not aware he could be suspended for pitch tampering and also affirmed that he had done the same thing in all the Sheffield Shield matches. “No, I had no indications,” Wade said on Thursday. “I got told on the last day, before the fourth day. That’s when I found out. We went to the hearing that night and then I had a hearing a few days later. No real word during the game.”

Wade scored a brilliant 119 during his side’s win over Tasmania on a testing surface at Hobart. “It’s a bit hard to go into. There’s been plenty of appeals and I’ve had my chance to say what I’ve had to say,” Wade said. “The people who need to hear what has happened have heard what my side of the story is. I’m not going to stand here and go into the appeal, what I said in the appeal is the truth and exactly as I saw it, and the people who need to hear it have heard it.

“It’s alleged that I was tampering with the pitch, that’s all I can say … My initial reaction was it wasn’t a big deal. To find out that I’d got suspended wasn’t ideal and I was disappointed with everything that went on, and disappointed with myself for putting myself in that situation. But it is what it is, I’ve got to move on and own that now.

“I’ve played 70 Shield games and I’ve done the same thing every Shield game. The wicket was a little bit more underdone than probably what I’m used to playing on. I’ve got to be a little bit more aware of those situations and make myself better.”

Wade, however, is expected to return to Victoria’s squad for their match against South Australia on Friday. He is eager to get his side back on the right track after having suffered an innings defeat against Western Australia at Perth. Wade described that as the most difficult part when he was travelling with his team to Perth.

“It’s been disappointing to say the least,” Wade said. “A week ago the allegations came out and I went to an appeal and the rest is history. It’s been disappointing but the hardest thing was to watch the boys in Perth. I was over there trying to do my bit, trying to help out and do a little bit of coaching.”