Wasim Akram Weighs in on Australia’s Sandpaper Scandal After Usman Khawaja’s Claims

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has commented on Australia's 2018 ball-tampering scandal, following Usman Khawaja's claims that the entire team was aware of the use of sandpaper during a Cape Town Test match against South Africa. Khawaja made the allegation in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, stating that "it was all of us.

Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us." This sparked a new debate within Australian cricket, with current captain Pat Cummins dismissing Khawaja's claims, calling them "100 per cent wrong" and "complete and utter nonsense." Cummins insisted he had no knowledge of the ball-tampering plan, describing Khawaja's claims as "complete and utter nonsense."

In response to the controversy, Wasim Akram suggested that the Australian players might not have been aware of the plan at the time. As a close friend and respected leader, Akram expressed respect for Cummins's leadership but acknowledged that scratches caused by sandpaper are different from those resulting from normal ball maintenance. He emphasized that cricket fans could distinguish between the two types of scratches.