A day after making controversial comments on the trio involved in the ball-tampering episode, Mitchell Starc insisted on Saturday (June 9) that he was misconstrued. 
“My comments at the forum were provided in the context of a particular topic, as it related to being honest and authentic in delivering a message. This context has unfortunately been lost in certain media reporting and headlines in recent days. But fundamentally there are many things that we can all learn from recent events in South Africa,” wrote Starc on his personal website.
“It was such a stressful time in our lives. There was strain on relationships both as individuals and as a team. However, the relationships of that group remain very much intact. I look forward to the opportunity to play alongside every one of my teammates from that tour again. We still have a long way to go in rebuilding the trust with the Australian public and I know personally, that I am 100 per cent committed to doing that.”
The Australian ace had implied during a function in Sydney on Friday that the decision to hold a press conference with Steven Smith and Cameron Bancroft – key characters along with David Warner involved in tampering the ball during the Durban Test against South Africa – wasn’t well received by the team.
Smith had declared during the emotional conference that the entire leadership group was involved in the decision to use sandpaper to scuff up the ball. Reportedly the-then skipper’s comments infuriated Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
Smith and Warner are serving 12-month bans while Bancroft was handed a 9-month suspension by Cricket Australia.
According to The Australian, Starc confirmed divisions in the team in the wake of the conference. “They obviously didn’t see how big the reaction was going to be at that time and then went down the path of not telling the whole truth and then I guess involving another group, which ruined — well, not ruined — but affected other reputations,” he said.
Releasing an extensive statement on his personal website, Starc maintained that relationships were strained but weren’t broken.
“Despite reports to the contrary, I continue to have the utmost respect for Steve Smith as captain, team-mate and friend and I look forward to having him back in our great game soon,” the release added.
“That goes for David and Cameron who have also been through an extremely tough time. It is good to see all three guys planning to be back in cricket soon in different competitions around the world.
“Rebuilding trust and developing a positive reputation will take time and through our actions, we hope to demonstrate this to cricket fans everywhere,” he said.
CA’s investigation held Smith, Warner and Bancroft responsible for ball-tampering, while the Australian bowling unit firmly denied any knowledge of the ploy.
