“The disappointing thing is it’s never going to go away. Regardless of what’s said. We all know that we made a monumental mistake. The gravity wasn’t as plain until it all came out.”

Cricket Australia issued a statement following Bancroft’s remarks,saying that the governing body was open to any new information relating to the incident,which triggered two reviews into Australian cricket and indirectly led to the departure of chairman David Peever andhigh performance chief Pat Howard,as well as Lehmann,who resigned in the days after the incident was brought to light by South African television cameras.

“CA has maintained all along that if anyone is in possession of new information in regards to the Cape Town Test of 2018 they should come forward and present it,” CA said.

“The investigation conducted at the time was detailed and comprehensive. Since then,no one has presented new information to CA that casts doubt on the investigation’s findings.”

Saker said it would be fair for CA to reopen the investigation but was unsure what that would achieve.

“I don’t think it’d be unfair. I just don’t know what they’re going to find out,” Saker said.

“It’s like the underarm,it’s never going to go away.”

In an interview with The Guardian,Bancroft responded to a question about whether the bowlers knew of the ball-tampering plot by saying:“Uh … yeah,look,I think,yeah,I think it’s pretty probably self-explanatory.”

Bancroft’s comments come at a delicate time for Smith,who has declared he is keen to return to the national captaincy after losing it following the Cape Town episode,and Cummins,who shapes as a potential captain-in-waiting.

In a significant sign that momentum is building for Smith to regain the role,current Test captain Tim Paine last week endorsed him as his successor.

Paine and Aaron Finch,Australia’s current men’s captains,are 36 and 34 respectively.