Australian cricketer David Warner admitted to ball-tampering during the 2017-18 Ashes series, according to former England captain Alastair Cook.

Warner and teammates Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft were banned for ball-tampering during last year’s tour of South Africa, which took place after the 2017-18 Ashes series. Those suspensions have since ended and the three are involved in the ongoing Ashes series in the United Kingdom.

‘David, a couple of beers into his celebration, mentioned that he used substances attached to the strapping on his hand to accelerate the deterioration of the ball during a first-class match. I looked at Steve, who shot a glance that said, “Oh, you shouldn’t have said that.”,’ reads the Guardian‘s extract from Cook’s new autobiography.

The left-handed Warner’s return to international cricket earlier this year was preceded by a fine stretch of form for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League. He then starred during Australia’s 2019 World Cup campaign, but has struggled to replicate limited-overs success with significant contributions in Test-match competition.

The 32-year-old Warner has collected a mere 79 runs in eight innings in the 2019 Ashes series. That lean stretch includes three ducks and four other single-figure scores.

Australia retained the Ashes title on the back of a 185-run win in the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester last week. The Oval in London will host the fifth and final match this week.

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