Australian tabloid claims team may back out from fourth Test against South Africa
Getty Images
The Courier-Mail has reported that the Australian team is planning to back out of the fourth and last Test against South Africa. It also stated that Warner named Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon to be aware of the incident, which made the players unhappy with Warner.
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 donât remain on talking terms either. Reports from the Courier-Mail state that the rift was initiated after Warner told Cricket Australiaâs 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.
âThey are going to break apart in the next couple days. I spoke to people this morning, the players donât want to play the test. Generally, they donât feel like playing because they are absolutely gutted.â
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.
âThey are blistering to the point where I understand that one of the bowlers was thinking of approaching team management and saying, âget him off the tourâ,â the Courier-Mailâs Robert Craddock, who knew about the team situation, told Fox Sports.
âItâs a major blow-up. They arenât on talking terms.â
The fourth Test is scheduled to be held on Friday at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
