David Warner has sought more clarity on the ball-changing incident in the India A-Australia A game in Mackay. (Reuters/Screengrab)
David Warner has called on Cricket Australia to provide more information about why umpires changed the ball used by India A in a match in Mackay on Sunday which led to a heated exchange between wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan and an on-field umpire.
The ball used by India A while defending a 224-run target was changed before the final day’s play in the four-day match against Australia A, with umpire Shawn Craig telling the Indian players on the field before the start of play: “When you scratch it, we change the ball.
“There will be no more discussion, let’s play. This is not a discussion, you will be playing with that ball.”
A miffed India A wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan, returning to the national team radar after a year of turmoil, could be heard telling Craig that it “is a very stupid decision” to play with the new ball, to which the umpire replied: “Excuse me, you’ll be on report for dissent. That’s inappropriate behaviour. Because of your actions we changed the ball.”
Not much was to be made of the skirmish for the rest of the day’s play as the partnership between skipper Nathan McSweeney and Beau Webster that India A were trying to break stayed unbeaten to take their side to a seven-wicket win. Cricket Australia released a statement a few hours after the furore which seemed to track back Craig’s claims, exonerating both India and Kishan. “The ball used in the fourth innings of the match was changed due to deterioration,” it said, without going into the nature or cause of the deterioration. “Both teams’ captain and manager were informed of the decision prior to the start of play. No further action is being taken.”
Warner, who was banned for 12 months for his role in 2018 Newlands ball-tampering scandal, said the incident had been “squashed” ahead of India’s imminent arrival for the five-Test series against Australia.
‘Controversy quashed’
“I think the ultimate decision’s with CA, isn’t it?” Warner told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday.
“I think they’ve obviously squashed it as fast as they could, given that India’s coming out here this summer.
“But if the umpires deem that something happened, then I’m sure there’ll be a follow-up and I think the umpires or the match referee should be standing here answering those questions. The match referee should be coming out and addressing his own staff, who are the umpires, and if they’re sticking by the umpire’s decisions, then you’ve got to stand up for that.
“I think that’s obviously a statement that CA probably need to release,” Warner said.
