David Warner has accused Cricket Australia of sweeping the India A ball-tampering accusation under the carpet, suggesting officials had quickly "squashed" the issue before the Test summer.
Warner was appointed Sydney Thunder's new BBL captain on Wednesday, a fortnight after his lifetime leadership ban was lifted by Cricket Australia (CA) as the governing body removed the last remaining sanction from the 2018 ball-tampering saga.
It also came as another ball-tampering scandal threatened to erupt, with Warner and former opening partner Ed Cowan raising questions over CA's handling of an on-field claim that India A had scratched the ball against Australia A in Mackay last week.
Notably, Cowan accused CA of putting money above integrity, and retreating from the matter at the wishes of Indian authorities.
Umpire Shawn Craig on Sunday accused India A of having caused a "scratch" on the ball during the fourth innings of the tour match against Australia A.
The ball was changed before the fourth morning as a result and both teams notified, but within hours India A players were effectively cleared and escaped any sanction with no evidence found of what caused the scratch.
"They have obviously squashed it as fast as they could, given that India is coming out here this summer," Warner said on Wednesday.
"But if the umpires deemed something happened, I am sure there will be a follow up.
"The umpires or the match referee should be standing here answering questions."
Asked if it should be irrelevant that India were coming out for five Tests this summer, Warner said: "That's what I am saying".
"I think the match referee should be coming out and addressing his own staff, which are the umpires.
"And if they're sticking by the umpire's decisions, you have to stand up for that. That's obviously a statement CA have to release. I have not seen anything."
Warner and Steve Smith were given 12-month bans by CA over the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal, while Cameron Bancroft received a nine-month ban after cameras clearly caught him applying sandpaper to the ball in the Test.
Warner's words came as far stronger comments from Cowan emerged from an ABC Cricket podcast earlier this week, where he claimed Craig had been "hung out to dry".
“He’s had no support from his employer," Cowan said.
“The issue is similar to any other time India are aggrieved, they threaten to maybe pull out of a tour or threaten X, Y or Z and people retreat.
"Having heard the audio, that an umpire thought it had been scratched.
"I’m in a bit of shock actually that an actual press release would come out and say ... that it’s like nothing more to see here, we’re going to keep on moving to this Test series that hopefully go to fixing the hole in our balance sheet.
“My underlying issue here is you can’t choose when integrity matters.”
Umpires also opted not to report India A wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan for dissent following the game, after he told Craig it was "stupid" to have switched to the ball they had.
CA remain adamant no evidence could be found on how the ball was scratched in Mackay, and that the matter was rightfully considered closed.
"The correct process was followed for the replacement of the ball. The officials then determined on the information available no further action was required," a CA spokesperson said.
