Australian cricketer David Warner has urged Cricket Australia (CA) to clarify the circumstances surrounding a contentious ball change on the final day of the Australia A vs India A match in Mackay which gave rise to allegations of ball-tampering by the visitors.
Tensions flared when umpires replaced the ball before play began, sparking frustration from the Indian players, especially wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan. Audio from the stump microphone caught umpire Shawn Craig explaining to Kishan that scratches on the previous ball led to the replacement, warning Kishan he’d be put on report for calling the decision “stupid.”
“You scratch it, we change the ball,” Craig was heard saying. “There will be no more discussion, let’s play.”
CA later released a statement citing that the ball had “deteriorated” and confirmed no further action would be taken but the explanation left many unsatisfied.
Warner felt that the matter had been “squashed” as India’s tour of Australia for the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy looms.
“The ultimate decision is with CA, isn’t it?” Warner remarked. “I think they squashed it quickly, given India’s upcoming tour. But if the umpires saw something, there should be a follow-up. I think the match referee should be the one addressing this.” He also expressed that CA or the match referee should stand by the umpire’s decision if it’s to be upheld, adding, “I’ve not seen anything myself.”
According to CA regulations, umpires may change a ball without imposing penalty runs if it’s unclear how it was damaged. Normally, under cricket laws, a five-run penalty is applied for an unfairly altered ball.
David Warner, who is not a stranger to ball-tampering scenarios himself, recently completed his redemption arc after being named the captain of Sydney Thunder for the upcoming BBL season.
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