Australia captain Pat Cummins has finally indicated that he is ready to address the questions surrounding Usman Khawaja’s claims about the sandpapergate scandal during the 2018 Cape Town Test against South Africa, bringing fresh attention to a controversy that continues to divide opinion.
While a few, including then Australia vice-captain David Warner, have backed Khawaja, others have chosen not to weigh in, with Cricket Australia also declining to launch a fresh investigation.
On the same day Mitchell Starc denied having any knowledge of sandpaper being used at any stage during the South Africa Test series, reiterating his stance from 2021, his compatriot Peter Handscomb, who was also part of the 2018 tour, declined to offer any further comment.
"Look, I appreciate you have to ask these questions," he said after his century for Victoria at the MCG in the ongoing Sheffield Shield tournament. "I've had a nice day today, and it's not really something that I want to comment on right now. I'll sort of just let the powers of people do their thing."
The chatter surrounding the sandpapergate scandal resurfaced following the release of Khawaja's autobiography, Sabr, in which he dedicated an entire chapter to the episode. He claimed that the three players found guilty of the offence -- Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft -- were not the only ones aware of the incident. He further alleged that Australia had employed similar tactics in the preceding Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth.
{{/usCountry}}The chatter surrounding the sandpapergate scandal resurfaced following the release of Khawaja's autobiography, Sabr, in which he dedicated an entire chapter to the episode. He claimed that the three players found guilty of the offence -- Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft -- were not the only ones aware of the incident. He further alleged that Australia had employed similar tactics in the preceding Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth.
{{/usCountry}}Asked whether the revelations did more harm than good, Handscomb said: "I mean, things come up all the time. 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. So everyone [is] dealing with it in their way."
Khawaja also alleged that Australia's reverse-swing tactics during the 2017-18 Ashes involved lifting the quarter seam. England's Joe Root, however, refused to comment on the matter.
"I wasn't in that [Australia] dressing room, I don't know what went on," Root said ahead of the ODI series against Australia. "I don't want to speculate. My focus is with this team right now and what we've got coming up.
"In terms of everything that's happening or come out in the last little while, we obviously have no idea, and it's all speculation. Our focus and our concerns are on this three-match series."
With several questions still unanswered, Cummins took to social media on Thursday to announce that he was ready to address the ball-tampering allegations. He invited members of the media to attend his training session on Friday and put their questions to him.
“I’m training at Cricket Central tomorrow morning before the Blues play in the Shield match,” Cummins wrote on social media. “Happy to speak with any and all media about the events of this week at 9.30 am. I’ve taken some time to try and better understand the long list and full extent of Uzzy’s allegations so I can respond properly.”
Mitchell Marsh, who was part of Australia's Test squad during the 2018 tour, is another key figure expected to face questions when he addresses the media at his captain's press conference on Thursday, ahead of the first ODI in Perth.