Following Justin Langer’s interview – where the Aussie coach remarked that the Australia team behaved like spoilt brats under Steve Smith – Ricky Ponting has also opened up about the ball-tampering fiasco.

According to the former Australia captain, there were “little things” which had not been dealt with properly and hence turned into disastrous issues, a glimpse of which was seen during the ball-tampering incident.

“I have been a spectator for the last five years and not been in the dressing room,” he said. “I just know from being a captain, little things start happening and if you don’t deal with them when they happen they turn into bigger things.

“Maybe over the last few years there have been enough little things around Australian cricket and they have turned into things that are catastrophic — which is what happened in South Africa.

“I heard Justin say today that he will make sure today they address the little things when they arise and the senior players will correct them and make sure they are done and dusted.”

Reminiscing about the shock of the sorrowful period in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal, Ponting said that he was better off taking himself away from it. He said how people were concerned about the dreadful incident.

“I was shocked,” Ponting said. “To be honest I didn’t watch any of the press conferences. I was better off taking myself away from it all.

“I understood the enormity of it all and was being stopped in the street and being asked on a daily basis by 70-year-old women what’s going on with the Australian cricket team. To be honest the less I know the better.”

However, the 43-year-old is hopeful about seeing the disgraced trio – who are serving bans for their role in the ball-tampering incident – back in the Australia team.

“I have some feelings for the boys involved and hope they are OK and we see them back in Australian colors,” said Ponting.