"I feel like a soap opera director," said Australia cricket coach Justin Langer on Monday as the debate around the future of banned Steve Smith and David Warner grew this past week.
Smith and Cameron Bancroft recently opened up about the infamous ball-tampering incident in March that shook Australian cricket.
The former captain, as well as Bancroft, made it clear in their interviews that Warner was the chief instigator of the ill-fated plan in Cape Town.
"It's all just part of the soap opera we're in every day. I feel like a director of a soap opera at the moment, I honestly do," Langer told reporters.
The interviews have taken the sheen off the Boxing Day Test between India and Australia which ended with the host losing by 137 runs.
Asked about the interviews Langer said: "That's part of coaching - it's man management, looking after people and caring for people. That was just another distraction last week. There's different ways you can look at those interviews."
"It's just another part of our day-to-day job. We're in touch with the boys all the time, there's a really good process we're going to go through to get the boys back into the team. It was great to see Cameron playing last night. It's part of the soap opera," Langer said.
Langer, Test captain Tim Paine and limited overs skipper Aaron Finch all have maintained that Smith and Warner are on track for an international return soon.
Paine even admitted his batsmen failed to cope with the high-quality opposition bowling attack in the absence of Smith and Warner while Finch said that the banned duo will be welcomed back with open arms.
Bancroft returned to competitive cricket after completing his nine-month suspension this on Saturday while Warner and Smith, who still have three more months of suspension left, are set for a square off in the Bangladesh Premier League in January.
