Michael Clarke claims more than Warner, Smith and Bancroft would have known of ball-tampering plot

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke claimed more players in Australian team knew about the sandpaper gate.

Xtra Time Web Desk: Former Australian captain Michael Clarke on Monday added fuel to the fire by claiming more members in the Australian team other than Warner , Smith & Bancroft would have known about the ball tampering plot of 2018.

Cameron Bancroft recently made a cryptic remark that the Australian bowlers may have known about the Cape Town plot has placed Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon back into the spotlight. David Saker, bowling coach at the time, hinted on Sunday that there was an element of collective responsibility needed and that the issue was not going away.

Speaking on Sky Sports radio on Monday, Clarke was sceptical that bowlers wouldn’t have known.

“If you are playing sport at the highest level you know your tools that good it’s not funny,” Clarke said.

“Can you imagine that ball being thrown back to the bowler and the bowler not knowing about it?

“Please.”

Clarke suggested that what really happened could “come out in someone’s book anyway”.

“I love how the articles in the paper are, ‘It is such a big surprise that Cameron Bancroft has made a …’ Actually, if you read his quotes, it is not what he did say as what he didn’t say in regards to other people knowing about ‘sandpapergate’,” he said.

“What’s the surprise? That more than three people knew? I don’t think anybody who has played the game of cricket, or knows a little bit about cricket, would know that in a team like that, at the highest level, when the ball is such an important part of the game.

“I don’t think anybody is surprised that more than three people knew about it.”