Gilchrist on ball-tampering scandal: CA didn't fully investigate Sandpaper Gate

Adam Gilchrist has said Cricket Australia (CA) did not carry out a thorough investigation into the 2018 Sandpaper Gate because it did not go deeper into the problem of ball-tampering.

(From left) David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, the three men at the centre of the ball-tampering scandal on Australia’s South Africa tour in 2018.

Adam Gilchrist has said Cricket Australia (CA) did not carry out a thorough investigation into the 2018 Sandpaper Gate because it did not go deeper into the problem of ball-tampering.

"There was an opportunity for CA if they were going to make such a strong statement they needed to do a more thorough investigation to work out where the root of the problem was," Gilchrist said on SEN Radio.

 

"Anyone would be naive to think people were not aware of what was going on about ball maintenance. I don't think Cricket Australia wanted to go there. They did not want to go any deeper than that superficial example of ball-tampering."

In the latest episode of MatchPoint Paradox, Vijay Lokapally, Shayan Acharya and Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya leave the IPL behind and explore the developments heading up to the men's team's World Test Championship campaign. The trio also discuss the developments in the women's game this week.

Gilchrist's comments come close on the heels of an interview in The Guardian, where Cameron Bancroft hinted that there was wider knowledge of the ball-tampering plan within the Australian dressing room beyond the trio of players - Steve Smith, David Warner and Bancroft - sanctioned by Cricket Australia.

 

"They did not investigate to see whether it was systemic, had it been going on and on and on. Around the cricketing globe, it was widely accepted a lot of teams were doing it," the former Australian keeper said.

"You haven't seen any reverse swing since that incident as a general statement across world cricket. Very minimal reverse swing. The positive that has come out with that punishment is it seems to have been eradicated from the game because it was getting out of control around the entire cricket world, not just the Australian cricket team."