In a column for Sky Sports, David Warner argues that Cricket Australia’s 2018 ball-tampering investigation stinks of a cover-up.
The controversy that rocked Australian cricket eight years ago has reignited following claims made by Usman Khawaja in his autobiography, Sabr: Finding my way in cricket and in life. Khawaja said that the entire Australian team knew sandpaper was being used to alter the ball before the Test against South Africa in Cape Town in 2018.
Warner doubled down on his criticisms of the governing body’s probe. He alleged that Cricket Australia had failed to question three bowlers who participated in that match: Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood.
“As far as I am aware, CA did not interview Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc or Nathan Lyon in their 2018 investigation,” Warner wrote in a post on Instagram, as reported by The Guardian.
David Warner has accused Cricket Australia of a “cover up” as the row over the 2018 “sandpaper-gate” continues. #bbccricket #sandpapergate https://t.co/a9FlT0sHrJ
“If that’s correct, then how can CA push the idea that their 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,” Warner said.
Players Deny Knowledge of 2018 Ball-Tampering Sanctions
In the wake of the 2018 scandal, Warner and then-captain Steve Smith received 12-month bans, while Cameron Bancroft was handed a nine-month suspension. Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Cummins escaped disciplinary action and released a collective statement in 2021 asserting they were unaware of the ball-tampering occurring.
Following Khawaja’s revelations, both Cummins and Starc denied any knowledge of sandpapergate. Australia Test captain Pat Cummins rejected Khawaja’s claims during a press conference on Friday, stating that while players knew what was happening on the field, they were unaware of the sandpaper plan.
“When he says we all knew, if by that he means that we knew sandpaper was going out in the field, he’s 100 per cent wrong. I’ve said that consistently for the last eight years,” Cummins told reporters, according to BBC Sport.
Warner Hits Back at Captain Cummins
Warner hit back at the Australian Test captain’s comments, asserting that Cummins had thrown Khawaja under a bus. Warner maintained his support for his former teammate’s account of events.
“Pat Cummins was very well-prepared this morning. I still stick by Uzzie, and what he’s written in that book,” Warner said.
“It is the truth, and I really, really support him. I actually feel for him at the moment; I feel that the captain today threw Uzzie under the bus, and I’m very, very disappointed about that,” Warner said.
Warner emphasized the personal toll the scandal took on those who were sanctioned. He said that he, Smith, and Bancroft continue to live with the consequences daily after serving life-altering punishments.
Cricket Australia Rules Out New Probe
The governing body confirmed on Saturday via CEO Todd Greenberg, speaking on the Australian radio program SEN, that they have no intention of revisiting the inquiry. Greenberg said that there was no compelling reason to revisit the matter under current leadership.
“We don’t see any compelling reason to open the investigation or revisit this again,” Greenberg said. “I don’t think there’s anything that can be gained from that.”
Greenberg added that the board remains comfortable with the outcome of the initial 2018 investigation based on the information received at the time, noting that Usman Khawaja’s version of events is inconsistent with what other players have maintained consistently since 2018.
In response to Warner’s recent remarks, a Cricket Australia spokesperson stated: “As we have stated previously, all players were given the opportunity to speak at the time of the initial investigation and have had the ability to come forward with new evidence in the eight years since. Subsequently, CA has respected every player and former players’ right to provide their own version of events.”
