David Warner questions Cricket Australia over Sandpapergate evidence

Cricket Australia says players are unlikely to reach an agreement on the 2018 Sandpapergate scandal. Chadd Sayers has backed Usman Khawaja's claims, while David Warner has questioned CA over the evidence provided to players during the investigation

New Delhi: Cricket Australia (CA) has admitted that it is “very unlikely” that players involved in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town will ever reach an agreement on what happened during the incident, as the Sandpapergate controversy has resurfaced.

Sandpapergate has made headlines once again after Usman Khawaja made explosive claims that the entire Australian team knew about the ball-tampering scandal during the Cape Town Test and that sandpaper had also been used during the previous Test in Port Elizabeth.

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With differing accounts emerging from Australian cricketers, CA has acknowledged that the players are unlikely to reach an agreement on the issue.

“We respect the right of those in South Africa in 2018 to share their version of what they believe happened on that tour,” a CA spokesperson said on Sunday, as quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald.

“The significant differences in the views expressed continue to demonstrate that it is very unlikely an agreed version of events will be reached without relevant material evidence,” the spokesperson added.

This comes after former Australian bowler Chadd Sayers rejected Pat Cummins’ statements on Sandpapergate on Sunday. Sayers, who was part of the Australian touring squad for the 2018 series, said he was confident that “everyone” in the Australian Test side knew what was happening.

“I’m comfortable sitting here … believing that everyone in that side knew what was going on and what was being used,” Sayers told SEN radio on Sunday. “I’m not taking sides. I’m neutral in all this … I’m just trying to tell my side of the story and what I believe happened.”

“I think I’ve probably been portrayed in the media as taking Usman (Khawaja)’s side because I’ve spoken out and acknowledged that that was probably the truth. But I’m neutral in all this. I’m just trying to tell my side of the story and what I believe happened.

“There are no sides; they’ve both been great to me throughout my time in the Test squad, so I’m not taking sides; I’m neutral in all this,” he added.

Meanwhile, David Warner has published another Instagram post criticising CA, saying he had to admit his role in the episode without being given complete information about the scandal.

Warner’s latest statement came after he claimed that Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon had not been interviewed on Saturday. However, the Sydney Morning Herald confirmed that the trio had been interviewed.

“Just to clarify, ‘as far as I am aware’ was the point. 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 in 2018. Why weren’t we given all the evidence by CA?” Warner wrote on social media.