The cricket world is awaiting a response from Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, on the recent allegations concerning the 2018 sandpaper scandal, after Usman Khawaja claimed new facts in his autobiography. Khawaja contends that vital information may have been omitted during the original investigation following the controversial incident in South Africa. Simon Longstaff, who spearheaded the cultural review in its wake, expressed that if Khawaja’s assertions hold weight, his earlier conclusions were based on misleading information.
Following Mitchell Starc’s denial of knowing about sandpaper use, Peter Handscomb, who scored a century for Victoria at the MCG, was tactfully evasive about the issue. He was present as a substitute on the day Cameron Bancroft was televised with sandpaper and received directives via walkie-talkie from then-coach Darren Lehmann to pass messages to the field. Handscomb remarked, “I’ve had a nice day today, and it’s not really something that I want to comment on right now.”
When questioned about the potential reopening of old wounds, Handscomb added, “People are allowed to talk about what they want to talk about. That’s up to them. So, you know, in professional cricket where you deal with a lot of noise, you do have to move on.” He also noted he hadn’t contacted fellow players but assumed the news had already caused a flurry of activity among them.
Meanwhile, Joe Root addressed queries regarding Khawaja’s claims that Australia manipulated the ball during the 2017-18 Ashes. Root said, “I wasn’t in that [Australia] dressing room, I don’t know what went on. I don’t want to speculate.” He reaffirmed his focus was on the forthcoming ODI series against Australia, dismissing any speculation regarding past ball tampering instances as not part of his experience.
The longstanding taunts pertaining to the sandpaper incident have lingered whenever Australia plays, with even David Warner participating in the discourse on social media. He echoed Chris Broad’s indignation, who criticised Lehmann’s past remarks about his son Stuart Broad’s contentious actions during the 2013 Ashes. Warner’s response to Broad’s comments was, “I couldn’t agree more and that’s hard for me to say!”
Amidst these controversies, Khawaja continues his book tour, with publishers refuting claims of major cancellations, instead stating mere schedule adjustments. The spotlight soon shifts to Mitchell Marsh, who was part of the 2018 tour, with his media engagement scheduled before the first ODI in Perth, offering another opportunity to address or sidestep these thorny issues.
