Khawaja says player used super glue on the ball in Sheffield Shield game

Former Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has revealed that ball tampering was commonly practiced at the Sheffield Shield level, with Victoria being the most proficient at it. In his upcoming book, Sabr, which is scheduled for release on Tuesday, Khawaja claims that super glue was even used by one player to rough up the ball. Khawaja, who played in the Sheffield Shield in the 2000s and 2010s, states that it was not uncommon for players and staff to be aware of the ball tampering, making everyone complicit in the act.

The Victoria bowling coach, Micky Lewis, was caught on camera scraping the ball in 2013. Khawaja also claims that an unnamed player utilized super glue to tamper with the ball during his first year in Sheffield Shield. This claim aligns with former Australian coach Darren Lehmann's remarks on ABC Sport's Summer Grandstand, where he stated that ball tampering had been a significant part of the game for 150 years.

Lehmann believes the practice is now obsolete. Khawaja defended the timing of his revelations, stating that he did not intend to "throw anyone under the bus." Cricket Australia has consistently denied that all players and staff were aware of the South African ball tampering.