Former Australia coach Darren Lehmann has said that Cameron Bancroft should have intimated the coaching staff of being suggested to tamper the ball by his opening partner David Warner.

In an interview with Adam Gilchrist on Fox Sports, Bancroft recently disclosed that Warner had told him to alter the condition of the ball during the Cape Town Test against South Africa earlier this year.

“Yeah he could’ve and should’ve (come to the coaches), I think he says that,” Lehmann told Macquarie Sport Radio.

“He should’ve come to us, at the end of the day it was a mistake — we know that. (It was) a severe mistake made by the guys and a lot of people have suffered one way or the other through that. We know it shouldn’t have happened, but it did,” he added.

In the aftermath of the ball-tampering scandal, Lehmann resigned from his position as head coach despite his contract not expiring till the completion of Ashes 2019. His decision followed then captain Steve Smith, his deputy Warner and rookie opener Bancroft receiving lengthy bans from Cricket Australia.

Lehmann also opened up about Smith’s role in the saga, saying, “Smith as captain, his disappointing thing that he spoke about was as captain of the country he should’ve had more control of it.

“Steven decided to turn a blind eye … I still can’t understand the pressures of captaining your country, it’s quite high you would think.”

Bancroft, who was banned for nine months, is due to return to international cricket on December 29 while Smith and Warner, facing the 12-month suspension, will not be eligible to return until March 29, 2019.