Australian tabloid claims team may back out from fourth Test against South Africa

While the ball-tampering saga finally came to an end with Steve Smith and David Warner being handed a one-year ban and Cameron Bancroft getting suspended for nine months, reports are ripe that the Aussie dressing room is shattered with players unwilling to play the final Test in Johannesburg.

It is also believed that there was a fallout between Warner and rest of his teammates as they don’t remain on talking terms either. Reports from the Courier-Mail state that the rift was initiated after Warner told Cricket Australia’s integrity unit investigators that Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, and Lyon were all aware of the ball tampering plan.

Former Australia player Gavin Robertson told Fox Sports News that players actually want to leave the tour and abandon the Fourth Test, beginning Friday.

“They are going to break apart in the next couple days. I spoke to people this morning, the players don’t want to play the test. Generally, they don’t feel like playing because they are absolutely gutted.”

The report further added that some players are now of the opinion that Warner was responsible for leaking a Channel Nine story that claimed the Aussie bowlers knew about Bancroft roughening up the ball using tape and sand hidden in his pockets.

“They are blistering to the point where I understand that one of the bowlers was thinking of approaching team management and saying, ‘get him off the tour’,” the Courier-Mail’s Robert Craddock, who knew about the team situation, told Fox Sports.

“It’s a major blow-up. They aren’t on talking terms.”

The fourth Test is scheduled to be held on Friday at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.