Former opener Michael Slater says batsman Cameron Bancroft has ‘buried David Warner’, after recent remarks about the ball-tampering saga that marred Australia’s tour of South Africa earlier this year.

Bancroft has claimed Warner encouraged him to tamper with the ball during the third Test at Newlands in Cape Town. Ex-captain Steven Smith was also involved in the incident.

‘The timing of it was wrong. I think there’s a strategy behind Steve Smith and Bancroft and Dave Warner – it’s off the radar at the moment. They are all running some strategy to gain some respect from the public and their players,’ Slater told Channel 7.

‘In those comments, he’s buried David Warner. They had the chance way back when it happened to tell the truth about the situation. There is no use now coming back and saying something different than was said then. They all collectively said as a group that they were all involved, and now they are saying something very different.

‘I don’t want to hear it. I know there’s an element of the public that would like to get to the bottom of it, but in terms of a respectful comment on Dave Warner, there’s been none of that. It makes it untenable and they’ve buried him very quickly.’

Bancroft’s suspension will end before the end of the year, while Warner and Smith will be eligible for selection before the 2019 World Cup.

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