Former Australian cricketer Chadd Sayers, who played his lone Test after Sandpapergate on the infamous 2018 South African tour, has said he is comfortable stating he believed everyone in the team knew about ball-tampering.
The notorious Cape Town Test match, where Cameron Bancroft was filmed using sandpaper on the cricket ball, was thrust into the spotlight this week after Usman Khawaja in his memoir, Sabr, claimed ball-tampering was commonplace and the entire team needed to take responsibility.
The memoir has caused a rift in Australian cricket.
David Warner, who was suspended with Cameron Bancroft and then-captain Steve Smith over the incident, backed Khawaja’s account in Sabr, saying it was “100 per cent accurate”.
Meanwhile, Test captain Pat Cummins, who was part of the infamous 2018 side, held a 70-minute press conference on Friday, again denying he had any knowledge of sandpaper being used and claiming Khawaja had been “casual” with people’s lives and reputations.
Sayers, who was part of the Australian touring squad in 2018, said ahead of Australia’s second ODI against England in Adelaide on Sunday that he was comfortable saying every member of the team knew sandpaper was being used.
“I’m comfortable saying where I’m sitting now that everyone knew what was going on [in South Africa in 2018],” Sayers said on the SEN broadcast.
“It [sandpaper] was used in two Test matches and there were discussions in change rooms … I’m not taking sides; it’s just my recollection of what took place.”
Sayers also said there was a meeting held in the wake of the team being caught with sandpaper, which lasted between 60 and 90 minutes.
Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper on the ball during the Test match in Cape Town, with an investigation determining he, Smith and vice-captain Warner were responsible for the ball tampering.
The trio was suspended, while the bowlers in that Test have always denied knowledge that sandpaper was being used on the ball.
In his memoir, Khawaja claimed he knew sandpaper was being used on the ball and told Bancroft to be careful.
Khawaja also said ball-tampering was commonplace in cricket.
Test captain Pat Cummins, who was part of the infamous 2018 side, held a 70-minute press conference on Friday, again denying he had any knowledge of sandpaper being used and claiming Khawaja had been “casual” with people’s lives and reputations.
“When he says ‘we all knew’, if by that he means we knew sandpaper was going out on the field, he’s 100 per cent wrong,” Cummins said on Friday.
“I’ve said that consistently for the last eight years; I did not know that was happening.
“But I think Usman actually says things that are far more serious than that. He says that I and others were architects of a scheme to ball tamper with sandpaper; that’s complete and utter nonsense.
“I was genuinely shocked this week when I found out Usman admitted that he told Cam [Bancroft] to be careful when using sandpaper. That’s not the Usman that I know. It’s not the Usman that has been part of the team that’s helped rebuild the Australian cricket culture over the last eight years, and the Usman that would have stopped that from happening there and then.
“Usman’s a friend, but friends aren’t casual with each other’s lives and reputations. In his book Ussie’s been casual with my [life] and the lives of many others, and I think Australian cricket. I support his right to tell a story, 100 per cent. I’m really glad he feels like he can, but we have to be accountable for the things that we say and do.”
Warner doubles down on Cricket Australia on social media
David Warner has hit out at Cricket Australia as Sandpapergate continues to dominate headlines. (Getty Images: Robert Cianflone)
David Warner has made another statement on social media, claiming he was not aware of all the facts before taking the brunt of punishment for Sandpapergate.
On Saturday, Warner accused Cricket Australia of a potential cover-up by claiming he believed the bowlers were not interviewed by the organisation about the incident.
Cape Town inquiry spoke to all Aussie bowlers, ABC understands
“As far as I am aware, CA did not interview Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc or Nathan Lyon in their 2018 investigation,” he wrote on Instagram.
“If that’s correct then how can CA push the idea that the bowlers didn’t know?
“It looks like they had decided who they wanted to blame from the very beginning … ran a shoddy investigation to serve the purpose and now they want to maintain the false narrative that the bowlers had no idea.
“That stinks of a cover-up.”
Multiple media outlets, including ABC Sport, have reported the bowlers were interviewed by Cricket Australia.
On Sunday, Warner then doubled down on his criticism of Cricket Australia and supported his previous post.
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“Just to clarify ‘As far as I am aware’ was the POINT,” he wrote.
“I was never told the bowlers had been interviewed or provided statements.
“That information would’ve been pretty useful when I was forced to make decisions back in 2018.
“Why weren’t we given all the evidence by CA?”