England paceman Stuart Broad says he doesn't believe the Australian cricket team tampered with the ball during the sides' recent Ashes series - and can't understand why they'd resort to cheating at all.
Australian captain Steve Smith has temporarily stood down from his post after orchestrating a ball-tampering attempt during the third Test against South Africa.
Alongside his side's leadership group, Smith instructed teammate Cameron Bancroft to use sticky tape to illegally change the condition of the ball.
Vice-captain Dave Warner has also stood aside from his role.
Fresh off a 4-0 Ashes series drubbing, Broad told reporters during his side's Test with New Zealand that he was surprised by Australia's underhand tactics.
He didn't believe they'd engaged in similar practices in the Ashes, where the likes of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood ripped the English line-up to shreds.
"I saw Steve in his press conference say it's the first time they tried it, which seems really surprising, why they'd change a method that was working," Broad said.
"You look at the Ashes series we just played, you look through all those Tests and they reverse swung the ball, sometimes in conditions you wouldn't expect.
"I don't understand why they've changed their method for this one game.
"Steve's said it's the first time they tried it, he's saying they have - there was no evidence they were doing this in the Ashes series from what I've seen."
Broad admitted to being disappointed by the Australians' antics and the rancorous nature of their Test series in South Africa, blighted by off-field incidents.
He also agreed that coach Darren Lehmann's diatribe against South African fans - saying their insults of Australian players were out of order - was hypocritical.
In a 2013 interview, Lehmann called on Australian cricket fans to make Broad "cry" during that year's Ashes series and labelled him a "blatant cheater".
Broad had refused to walk after edging a ball to the keeper but not being given out, and was duly hounded by Australian cricket fans for the whole series.
"Any England player, probably media (too), that's toured Australia can laugh at those comments - some of the things we hear on the pitch by Australian supporters, known as banter, I'm sure is worse (than South Africa)," the 114-Test Broad said.
"We lost (that 2013) series but it didn't make me cry.
"I can't understand why you'd then come out and moan about a different country.
"Just from the outside, it looks like Australia's started a lot of fights and then are moaning when someone comes back."
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