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Release sandpaper scandal report: Saker

3 minute read

David Saker, Australia's bowling coach at the time of the sandpaper scandal, says Cricket Australia's secret report into the controversy should be released.

Australian Bowling Coach DAVID SAKER.
Australian Bowling Coach DAVID SAKER. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Cricket Australia's secret report into the sandpaper scandal should be publicly released, says Australia's bowling coach at the time, David Saker.

CA has refused to release its investigation into Australia's ball tampering in a Test series in South Africa in 2018.

But Saker says releasing the report may halt ongoing questions about the controversy.

"I can't see any point why it wouldn't be released," Saker told reporters on Thursday.

"But that is up to them (CA), the way they want to handle that.

"Because these questions keep coming up, maybe if it's just released then maybe the questions might stop, but I don't think they will."

Saker said he was unaware Cameron Bancroft had taken sandpaper onto the field to tamper with the ball during the Cape Town Test.

"There's no doubt I had no idea there was any sandpaper involved," he said.

"As far as we knew, we were using normal tactics to get the ball reverse swinging, so that's as far as I know."

CA's report was compiled by the governing body's integrity officer Iain Roy and high performance manager Pat Howard. Both men have sinced move on from those roles.

Saker gave evidence to CA's investigation which led to bans for then-captain Steve Smith, David Warner and Bancroft.

Saker said he was "comfortable with where I am at" regarding the sandpaper furore.

"It's going to be like the underarm, it's going to be brought up all the time," he said, referring to Australia's infamous underarm delivery in a 1981 one-dayer against New Zealand.

"I was involved in the team obviously, so it's going to keep being brought up.

"But I am not sure it's going to get anywhere. I think everyone has told what they have told.

"We have had inquiries about it, we have all gone in and did our bit.

"So I can't see it going any further but the questions will keep coming, there's no doubt about that.

"That is just a part of life and you have got to deal with that. It's never going to go away, that is for sure."

Saker said he had told everything he knew about the scandal.

"I can't say any more," he said.

"I think it has all been told, that is far as I know, that is what has been told is what happened.

"So if other people have got other things that they saw or did, they can come out and say it at a later stage.

"But I have said everything about it that I have seen."

Bancroft in a recent interview intimated Australia's bowlers knew of the tampering - a claim flatly rejected by Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Halzewood and Nathan Lyon.

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