Mitchell Starc questions Steve Smith's honesty in dealing with ball-tampering scandal
Mitchell Starc (right) has questioned Steve Smith's approach to handling the ball-tampering scandal once it erupted in Cape Town.
Top Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has questioned the honesty and approach of former captain Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft in the first press conference they held after the ball-tampering scandal erupted in Cape Town in March.
Smith and Bancroft faced media after the latter was spotted by TV cameras shoving sandpaper down his pants during day three of the third test between South Africa and Australia.
The duo revealed a plan - later found to have been instigated by former vice-captain David Warner - had been hatched to alter the condition of the ball using a strip of sandpaper that looked like yellow tape.
Starc spoke publicly about the incident for the first time in Sydney.
Smith said at the time that Australia's leadership group, which included Starc and fellow quick Josh Hazlewood, all knew of the scheme and the bowlers were then reportedly very upset to have been implicated in the scandal.
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Australia's former skipper has since admitted an error in mentioning the leadership group and Starc, speaking publicly for the first time about the incident, said it was clear Smith and Bancroft approached their now infamous press conference without really considering the consequences.
Smith was banned for 12 months.
"Going back to what Sue said before about being up front and tackling a problem head on, that's something the group who decided to go into a press conference didn't really think about," he said while speaking at a Women in Banking and Finance forum in Sydney at which corporate adviser Sue Cato warned of the dangers of ill-advised, ill-prepared press conferences, The Australian reported.
"They obviously didn't see how big the reaction was going to be at that time and then went down the path of not telling the whole truth and then I guess involving another group, which ruined - well, not ruined - but affected other reputations."
Earlier this week, Hazlewood told Fox Sports' Back Page Live show that Australia's bowlers were not aware of any plans to illegally use sandpaper on the ball and revealed the rest of the team were in shock at the public outrage.
Starc was part of the leadership group Smith mentioned in his now infamous press conference.
"No, no," he said when asked if he knew of any plans to tamper with the ball.
"We obviously have ball maintenance people in the team, usually batsmen because they're in the circle and the bowlers field fine leg, deep square - where ever it is," he said.
"They just look after the ball from time to time. As soon as it stops swinging normal then it starts to reverse swing."
Josh Hazlewood has said the bowlers were not aware of any plans to alter the condition of the ball with sandpaper.
Smith, Warner (12 months) and Bancroft (nine) were all suspended for their involvement in the incident after a Cricket Australia (CA) investigation found the disgraced trio were behind the cheating plot.
Australia's five-match one-day international series in England begins next Wednesday (Thursday NZ time).
- Stuff
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