The infamous Sandpapergate scandal continues to raise questions about what really happened inside the Australian dressing room during the 2018 Cape Town Test. Former England captain Nasser Hussain has now expressed his surprise over the controversy, questioning both the players’ actions and Cricket Australia’s investigation into the incident.
Nasser Hussain believes it was strange that the Australian team initially tried to hide the truth about the ball-tampering incident. He also questioned why Cricket Australia didn’t speak to every player who was part of the team, particularly Usman Khawaja, who was reportedly sitting next to Cameron Bancroft when the incident took place.
Usman Khawaja, who was part of the Australian team during the infamous Test, recently claimed that the entire team knew about the ball-tampering plan. According to him, the incident was not limited to the three players who were punished: Cameron Bancroft, then-captain Steve Smith and David Warner, who was considered the main person behind the plan. Usman Khawaja also revealed that Cricket Australia never questioned him during its investigation, despite his presence in the dressing room and his proximity to Cameron Bancroft at the time.
Speaking on a sports channel, Nasser Hussain pointed out that cricketers have historically tried different methods to make the ball swing more. However, he found it difficult to understand how the Australian players thought using sandpaper was acceptable and how they expected to get away with it despite the presence of cameras around the ground.
He also questioned how none of the players reportedly raised concerns about the plan before it was carried out. For Nasser Hussain, the decision to hide the truth afterwards and Cricket Australia’s failure to question every player made the entire episode even more questionable.
Meanwhile, former England captain Michael Atherton believes Usman Khawaja’s recent revelations do not provide enough reason to reopen the investigation. He suggested that the use of sandpaper was the final incident in a series of issues that had built up within Australian cricket.
For context, the Sandpapergate scandal resulted in major punishments for three Australian players. Steve Smith and David Warner were handed 12-month suspensions, while Cameron Bancroft received a nine-month ban for their respective roles in the ball-tampering incident.
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