Australia captain Smith said he was “incredibly sorry” for bringing the game “into disrepute” after team-mate Cameron Bancroft was caught rubbing a piece of tape, coated with dust from the pitch, on the ball while fielding during the third Test against South Africa.

The scandal has left Smith fighting for his future as skipper and Gilchrist told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Stunned and shocked are two words that come to mind and then when you learn more about it I feel embarrassed and sad.

“It’s not what should happen. It should not happen. That’s the disappointing thing, it’s not (a) spur-of-the moment decision. It’s not an under-pressure decision where you make a decision and, ‘It’s okay I got it wrong because of a pressure moment’. It’s pre-planned and premeditated. It’s just not acceptable.”