English comedy legend John Cleese has taken a swing at former Test captain Ricky Ponting in a bizarre sandpapergate spotfire.
Cleese appears to have been the victim of manufactured and fake comments attributed to Ponting, which were spread by a popular cricket content account on X.
The ‘Monty Python’ icon launched a scathing attack on Ponting after believing the Aussie legend had previously criticised Usman Khawaja for the crisis Australian cricket is in.
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Among many explosive clams Khawaja makes in his autobiography Sabr, Khawaja alleges every member of the Aussie dressing room was aware of the plot to use sandpaper to tamper with the ball during the Tour of South Africa in 2018.
Cameron Bancroft was sprung using sandpaper to rough up the surface of the ball and was hit with a nine month ban following a Cricket Australia investigation.
Ex-captain Steve Smith and retired Aussie opener David Warner were hit with 12 month bans.
Khawaja’s claims have ripped open the old wounds from the 2018 scandal and members within the Aussie Test community have criticised Khawaja for “trying to sell a book” — and now Cleese appears to have been under the impression that Ponting was among them.
“I think it’s terribly unfair to have exposed the Australian cheating,” Cleese sarcastically posted on X in regard to fake quotes attributed to Ponting.
“Much better to sweep it under the carpet. Then they can go on doing it.
“After all, it helps them win matches and that’s what really matters.”
Cleese’s remarks come in response to a fake comments posted by an X account that has regularly shared viral rumours about international cricket and the IPL.
“Australian cricket is looking in a serious hole again,” the fake Ricky Ponting quotes, posted by account @cricketmythos, read.
“We lost that Test series against South Africa, and now Usman Khawaja has re ignited that infamous sandpaper saga again. What was the need of all this? What happened was past, there is no use to push the facts again & again.
“This could possibly trigger a massive collapse. David Warner is talking everything openly in public, ex cricketers are talking, even Pat Cummins looked under immense pressure. That was totally unnecessary from Khawaja.”
While Ponting is not known to have in fact shared his opinion, former Aussie coach Darren Lehmann has publicly questioned the motivation behind Khawaja’s book.
“I don’t think everyone would have known,” Lehmann told ABC Grandstand.
“You do know ball tampering is going on because it’s been happening for 150 years.
“It’s just how it’s being done, and how you would know to that extent? That’s an individual case by case, to be fair.
“I can only speak to what I know, and I know ball tampering was a big part of the game of cricket. Now it is obsolete.
“That doesn’t make it right either, but that’s the case, and we paid a heavy price for that.”
Khawaja made a sensational claim in the book that he suggested to teammates at the time the entire playing should have taken the collective blame — only to be shouted down by more than one teammate
Lehmann could not substantiate that such a conversation took place.
“I don’t remember that. There were two change rooms obviously, and there were meetings going on everywhere. To be perfectly honest I was in meetings with Cricket Australia a lot,” Lehmann said.
“That could have been the case, I don’t know. I’m not saying yes or no to that one. There will be different points of view everywhere on this whole matter.”
He went on to say: “Could he have said this at the time? I suppose that’s one of the things in the book. I mean, books are there to sell.”
Lehmann said on Saturday he has not spoken to or received a text message from Khawaja.