Michael Clarke has called for Cricket Australia to fully investigate claims players had been given permission to tamper with the ball in 2016, adamant the suggestion cannot be brushed aside.
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David Warner's manager rocked cricket circles on Thursday, claiming executives had been present at the time of the tampering advice.
In an interview on radio, James Erskine said the conversation had occurred after the 2016 loss to South Africa in Hobart when players were berated by staff over their performance.
A senior executive present at the time who no longer works with Cricket Australia has since denied the claims to AAP.
But regardless, the issue has again revived questions over the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in South Africa, with Erskine adamant Warner has been victimised.
Clarke, who captained several members of the current team, on Friday demanded cricket officials get to the bottom of the claims.
"This is the thing that needs to be clear to Cricket Australia," Clarke said.
"You cannot sweep this under the carpet and say, 'Well, we've got a new board, we've got a new CEO, we've got a new high-performance.
"I don't care if you have to call anyone involved in what James Erskine is saying ... Because you're not sweeping this.
"This thing is an explosion. This thing is going nowhere. This thing is getting bigger," Clarke said.
"There are some nervous men waking up this morning after the comments from David Warner's manager."
The claims came just a day after David Warner withdrew his application to have his leadership ban lifted, furious an independent panel installed by CA wanted it played out in public.
CA had also wanted the hearing held behind closed doors, but lost out in the battle to convince the panel to set those parameters.
But regardless, Clarke said it the fallout of the ball-tampering scandal was not going away, six years after the Hobart Test that Erskine referenced and almost five years on from Cape Town.
"You better find out what the heck has gone on," Clarke said.
"I want to know, as a past Australian captain, I want to know what is going on inside this set-up.
"I'm telling you now if James Erskine has that information, do you think that's the only thing he's got? This thing is not going away. The truth needs to be told.
"Cricket Australia needs serious help. They need proper help right now. This is every man for themselves. It's horrible."
CA CEO Nick Hockley would not comment on the allegations when asked on Friday.
"I haven't heard that before and I can't comment on unfounded allegations," he said.
"An investigation was done at the time (of Cape Town), a sanction was imposed. It was accepted.
"What we have sought to do is look at the behaviour since and if that sanction should be modified."
Australian Associated Press
