Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has claimed it is unlikely that the ball-tampering controversy during the 3rd Test between Australia and South Africa was restricted to just the three banned players in Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. Flintoff dismissed as “absolute nonsense” the suggestion that other Australian players were not in the know that the ball had been tampered with during the controversial Test in Newlands, Cape Town.
Former captain Smith, his deputy David Warner and Bancroft were all banned for attempting to alter the condition of the ball
“I am struggling to think that not everyone (in the team) knew,” Flintoff told.
“I might be completely wrong but you talk about it — you talk about how you’re going to treat the ball. The ball in cricket is so important,” added Flintoff.
“To say that a bowler has got a ball in his hands, or anybody else in the field does not know that this ball has been tampered with is absolute nonsense,” one of the stars of England’s 2005 Ashes triumph added.
“You talk and talk and talk about how you’re going to look after this ball. To then say that other people didn’t know; if that’s the case I feel sorry for (Australia left-arm fast bowler) Mitchell Starc.
“He’s got the ball in his hands, he’s running in thinking, ‘he’s Wasim Akram’. This ball’s moving everywhere, he’s thinking, ‘I’m cracking it here, I’m doing something which is unbelievable’. Don’t tell me you didn’t know.”
