Cricket Australia chief govt Todd Greenberg has ruled out reopening the investigation into the 2018 Sandpaper-Gate scandal regardless of contemporary revelations in Usman Khawaja‘s autobiography, Sabr. Greenberg mentioned the board remains happy with the original findings and sees no compelling purpose to reinvestigate.
The controversy resurfaced after Khawaja claimed that the entire Australian workforce knew about the ball-tampering plan during Australia’s tour of <a href="https://cricket.worldwide/india-women-announce-squads-for-south-africa-tour-2026-smriti-mandhana-to-lead-all-codecs/" title="India Ladies Announce Squads for South Africa Tour 2026, Smriti Mandhana to Lead All Codecs”>South Africa. David Warner backed his former teammate’s account and questioned the inquiry, whereas a number of players have continued to dispute Khawaja’s claims.
‘No Compelling Reason’ – Cricket Australia Guidelines Out Reopening Sandpaper-Gate Investigation
Chatting with SEN radio, Todd Greenberg mentioned Cricket Australia had no plans to revisit the investigation carried out after the 2018 Cape Town Test. He additionally revealed that Usman Khawaja had knowledgeable him about the autobiography a number of months earlier than its release.
“I have never learn the book but. Clearly it is out, but I’ll hopefully get a chance to do it, but Usman was ok to let me know some months in the past that he can be releasing a book, and I actually appreciated that decision,” Greenberg told SEN.
“At first, I have big respect for Usman to present his version of events,” he added. “I learn his comments over the weekend in the media, precisely the identical time as the public and I’ll clearly get to learn his book sooner or later.
“But there are specific particulars in his book that contradict the versions which were provided by others. And I wish to be really cautious to contemplate what Usman’s truly mentioned, and not reply to the headlines or the next commentary that will get created.”
“Now we have mentioned we’re comfy with the outcome of the investigation based on the information we’ve acquired. That includes what we’ve seen from Usman, and our position hasn’t changed on that,” he mentioned.
“We don’t see any compelling purpose to open the investigation or revisit this again. I do not assume there’s something that can be gained from that.”
‘A Very Completely different Version of Events’ – Usman Khawaja’s Claims Clash With Australia’s Bowlers’ Earlier Statements
In Sabr, Usman Khawaja alleged that Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft weren’t the one members of the Australia touring get together conscious of the ball-tampering plan. He additionally claimed that the workforce had used sandpaper throughout the second Test in opposition to South Africa in Port Elizabeth.
Khawaja additional revealed that Cricket Australia by no means interviewed him throughout the inquiry, regardless of him sitting subsequent to Bancroft all through the Cape Town Test. Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon denied knowing about the plan in a joint statement issued in 2021.
Todd Greenberg mentioned a number of players had maintained a special version of events since 2018 and that he had spoken to a few of them over the weekend. He added that players had been given the chance to share their accounts throughout the original inquiry.
“I can assure you, there are lots of other players who’ve a very, very totally different version of events, and so they’ve made that very public from the very start in 2018,” Greenberg mentioned.
“They have been very consistent in their position proper by until right this moment, and you already know my conversations with a lot of them over the weekend, I do not assume that may change both. So I think we find yourself at the identical intersection level, which is eight years in the past individuals have a version of events which differ from one another. And I completely get it, no one want to get this chapter of Australian cricket closed more than me, but it is unlikely.”
“It is necessary to attribute his words and not the headlines. It is necessary to know that back at the moment, players have been urged to come ahead, and so they had the chance to take action over these past eight years, and that remains the case.”
‘You may Hear From Pat’ – Australia Captain Cummins and Marsh Set to Tackle Sandpaper-Gate Claims
Todd Greenberg confirmed that Australia captain Pat Cummins would communicate about the controversy in the coming days. Mitchell Marsh was anticipated to deal with the issue at a press convention ahead of Australia’s first ODI in opposition to England in Perth.
“There is not any doubt that you will hear from Pat and you’ll hear from other players over the coming days or perhaps weeks,” Greenberg mentioned. “And as I mentioned, I do know persons are calling for the truth, but in reference to the bowlers, I think one factor that is clear is they have been very consistent from the original investigation back in 2018, in the days that immediately adopted this Test match.
“Once more, in their public statements in 2021, and again in a lot of my conversations with them over the weekend, their position has remained consistent and hasn’t changed, and there’ll clearly be time for them. Pat will communicate sooner or later in the days or perhaps weeks ahead, but I count on that their position can be precisely the identical as it has been because the start of this in 2018.”
Smith and Warner, captain and vice-captain at the time, acquired 12-month suspensions, whereas Bancroft was handed a nine-month ban. Warner later faced a management ban, which Cricket Australia lifted in October 2024.
Supply: cricketaddictor.com
