New Delhi, Nov 10 (IANS) Australian Cricketers’ Association CEO Paul Marsh stated that the ACA “will not be commenting on individual accounts of what took place” during the sandpapergate, which has resurfaced now after Usman Khawaja’s claims that “all” of the Australian team knew about the scandal that took place during the Cape Town Test in 2018.
The ACA CEO stated that although the parties involved are entitled to share their experiences, while also free to put the “challenging period” behind, “there are no winners in this issue” and what happened can’t be changed now.
“The events of the 2018 South African tour were a low point for Australian cricket. Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft paid an enormous price for what happened. One that was greater than and, as the ACA said at the time, disproportionate to any precedent in the game.
“Eight years on, it is understandable that those involved may have different recollections and perspectives of what took place. Players and staff at the heart of the issue are entitled to share their experiences, just as others are entitled to put such a challenging period in their life behind them,” Marsh said in a statement issued by the ACA.
He added that people must remember that those involved “are humans” and asked for the “ongoing vitriol” to end. “There are no winners in this issue, and nothing can undo what happened. But we must recognise that there are humans in the centre of this and we will be calling for the ongoing vitriol directed at those involved to come to an end. The price paid, both professionally and personally, has already been too great,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the ACA CEO also said that the body will not be speaking on the individual accounts and will support the members and the players involved during that 2018 tour.
“The ACA will not be commenting on individual accounts of what took place. The ACA’s role is to support our members, and we have been in contact with all players on that tour to offer our support. This support extends to all members of the ACA and their families,” it further said.
The sandpapergate has returned to the headlines ever since former cricketer Khawaja made explosive claims of the entire Australian team being aware of the scandal and that the team had also used the object during the previous Test in Gqeberha (known as Port Elizabeth then).
Ahead of the release of his book on Tuesday, Khawaja had made the explosive claims. “It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us,” Khawaja said, as quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald. “In an ideal world, I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to be the one who comes out and talks about the truth. The issue is that I genuinely thought after eight years the truth would have been out by now.”
The issue was later backed by David Warner, who was handed a one-year ban and a lifetime leadership ban from leading in international and Australian domestic cricket, which was later overturned in 2024.
“Hi everyone, it’s been eight years since I’ve spoken on this topic, and Uzzi, I throw my full support behind you. I thank you for what you’ve done. It’s 100% accurate what you’ve said. Now everyone knows the truth, it’s out there. People wanted to know it, you’ve come out and said it and now people are saying, ‘Why eight years on?’ talking about selling a book. This is Usman’s story; this is what Usman believes. Uzzi wrote down every single thing from that day on. Uzzi, thank you,” Warner said in the video.
Meanwhile, Cricket Australia had stated that it was “comfortable with the findings of our integrity process” and more recently, CA chief Todd Greenburg, while speaking to Sen Radio, ruled out reopening of the investigation, stating “there’s absolutely no benefit in going back”.
–IANS
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