Australian cricketer Khawaja disputes findings in 2018 ball-tampering probe
Former Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja said in a new autobiography excerpted on Saturday that discussions about ball-tampering during Australia’s 2018 tour of South Africa were more widespread within the team than Cricket Australia’s investigation found. The “Sandpapergate” scandal over Australia’s scuffing of the ball with sandpaper in the March 2018 Test in Cape Town sparked […]
Former Australian opener Usman Khawaja has reignited discussion around the 2018 ball-tampering scandal that saw captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner, and bowler Cameron Bancroft banned from cricket. Khawaja, in his new autobiography (Sabr), claims the entire team was aware of the cheating during the series against South Africa.
He states that the tactic was used before the high-profile match in Cape Town when Bancroft was caught using sandpaper on the ball. Despite being cleared of direct involvement, coach Darren Lehmann eventually resigned from the team. Khawaja insists that the bowlers, including current captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon, knew about the foreign substance being placed on the field.
However, the four bowlers who played in the match have previously stated they were unaware of it. Cricket Australia maintains its satisfaction with the integrity process conducted back then, emphasizing that no new information has come to light in the eight years since the Cape Town Test.
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