Glenn Maxwell says it was difficult to see the way Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith and David Warner were treated throughout the ball-tampering scandal.

The Australia batsman was called up to the Test squad as batting cover after the three players were banned by Cricket Australia for their involvement in the ‘sandpaper gate’.

Maxwell revealed the hardships that he and his fellow teammates experienced, especially after watching the trio’s emotional statements on television, which brought them to tears.

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‘I think the way they saw it, it was obviously beaten up a fair bit and they’ve seen a couple of their mates treated like criminals,’ he told Melbourne’s Radio SEN.

‘That is a hard thing for you to watch as a teammate, and to see what they went through, especially Steve Smith at the airport, that was a hard thing for everyone to watch.

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‘To then try and get yourself ready for a game of cricket a day later was extremely difficult, and I certainly didn’t envy their position at all. It was an extremely tough time for that whole playing group.’

Maxwell revealed the difficulties he had with slotting into the Test set-up due to the low morale among the players.

‘I had thoughts of what it could be like, and I hoped I could’ve provided something different for the group when I got over there, whether it be energy or just a happy face around the group to try and cheer them up,’ he added.

‘The enormity struck me at the end of the Test match when Boof [coach Darren Lehmann] had his goodbye speech and spoke about a few players in the group that he hoped could lead the group going forward.

‘I think that’s when it all hit me and how hard it was for this young group.’

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