David Warner blasts Cricket Australia probe

David Warner criticised Cricket Australia's handling of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, referring to it as a "cover-up" on Saturday. The incident, known as "Sandpapergate," occurred during a Test match in Cape Town. Warner, who was banned for a year for his involvement, alleged that Cricket Australia failed to interview key players in their investigation.

He questioned how CA could claim that the bowlers were unaware of the plan, suggesting that they had predetermined who they wanted to blame. Warner's comments followed Usman Khawaja's autobiography, which alleged that the entire team knew about the tampering scheme. According to the Cricket Australia investigation, only Steve Smith, Warner, and Cameron Bancroft were aware of the plot, and all three were subsequently dismissed from the team.

The other accused bowlers, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon, and Cummins, denied knowing about the plan in a 2021 statement. In response to Khawaja's claims, Cummins recently held a press conference, dismissing them as "100 percent wrong."