It came as captain Tim Paine said players involved in the infamous Test must accept speculation will continue to swirl about the Cape Town incident.
CA and Paine insisted Bancroft’s remarks,in which he suggested other players had knowledge of the ball tampering,would not be held against him when it came to selection. However,there is angst elsewhere in the dressing room as a result of views expressed by Warner’s manager,James Erskine,which have reignited tensions within the team towards his client.
Players have been left feeling uneasy byErskine’s criticism of CA’s investigation for failing to uncover what the agent believes to be the “whole truth”.
It is not clear to players whether Erskine was speaking on his own behalf or as Warner’s manager. Erskine has previously intimated Warner would divulge the full details about what happened in Cape Town in a book after he retires.
Australia’s bowlers,Cummins,Mitchell Starc,Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon,issued a statement on Tuesday denying any prior knowledge of the sandpaper plot.
Warner was selected in a preliminary 23-man squad for the white-ball series in the Caribbean but CA is yet to decide if the opener,currently in hotel quarantine in Sydney after returning from the Indian Premier League,will stay at home so he can spend more time with his family.
There are also discussions as to whether Cummins could also miss the tour so he can be home with his fiancee,Becky Boston,who is expecting the couple’s first child.