‘if this wasn’t India, there would be a totally different reaction’ -Ed Cowan on CA not addressing alleged ball-tampering issue in IND A vs AUS A

Ed Cowan speaks to the media during a press conference announcing his retirement at Sydney Cricket Ground. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

After a recent incident of alleged ball-tampering during the 1st unofficial Test between India A and Australia A, former Australian cricketer Ed Cowan opened up that Cricket Australia (CA) would have reacted differently had the opposing team not been India.

The incident occurred on the fourth day of the match, as the visitors engaged in a heated argument with the umpires over the decision to change the ball.

Umpire Shawn Craig was overheard on the stump mic telling the Indian players that their alleged scratching of the ball had led to the change. This received a strong reaction from wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan, who labelled the decision as “stupid,” leading the umpire to threaten him with a dissent charge.

“Shawn Craig, it feels has been hung out to dry here badly. Has had no support from his employer. He has seen something on the field and in his best judgement, tried to rectify that. Then Cricket Australia have worked out that they’ve got an issue. I’m in a bit of shock actually that an actual press release would come out and say, having heard the audio — that an umpire thought it had been scratched and well within their rights to change the ball — that it’s like, ‘Oh no, nothing more to see here,” Cowan said on the ABC Grandstand Cricket Podcast.

Also Read: ‘They were up to something’ – Ian Healy alleges India A tampered ball on Day 4 against Australia A

They threatened to maybe pull a tour: Ed Cowan

Cowan went on to say that CA’s reluctance to address the matter more forcefully may have been influenced by the involvement of the Indian team and the potential consequences.

“The issue is, similar to any other time India are aggrieved, they threatened to maybe pull a tour or they threatened X, Y and Z and people retreat. Part of me just thinks if this wasn’t India, there would be a totally different reaction,” he added.

Meanwhile, former Australian opener David Warner has also given his take on Cricket Australia squashing the umpire’s claims. On the other hand, Cowan raised important questions about the impartiality of cricket’s governing bodies and the potential influence of powerful cricketing nations.

“If that was Pakistan A or England A, or choose any A team or even a Shield game, the reaction would be totally different and for me, that’s the wrong approach,” he said during the same discussion. “To be fair, it’s just us joining dots. These dots may be totally incorrect, and we’d have imperfect information, but I do think it’s on Cricket Australia to clarify this, and it’s also probably imperative for the BCCI to clarify this. My underlying issue here is you can’t choose when integrity matters,” Cowan concluded.