Cricket Australia rules out new inquiry into 2018 ball-tampering saga

Cricket Australia will not reopen an investigation into the 2018 sandpaper controversy. Chief executive Todd Greenberg ruled out a new inquiry after claims made by Usman Khawaja.

Greenberg's Stance

Greenberg told radio station SEN that members of the Australian team at that time will never agree on how the ball-tampering plot was hatched and carried out. He stated that players had different recollections of the events and that specific details in Khawaja's book contradicted versions provided by others. Greenberg also noted that players were urged to come forward back then and had the opportunity to do so over the past eight years. He added that Cricket Australia remains comfortable with the outcome of the original investigation and sees no compelling reason to revisit the matter.

Khawaja's Claims

Khawaja's new book, titled Sabr and released on Tuesday, details how the Australian team started using sandpaper in Port Elizabeth, now known as Gqeberha, during the Test before Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera in Cape Town. Khawaja stated it was common knowledge within the team. On Tuesday, Khawaja declared on social media that he had hidden his version of events in Cape Town even from his manager and publisher, Penguin, until six months ago. He also rejected accusations that he used the sandpaper claims for book sales, stating he signed with Penguin in 2023 with total control over the content.

Context

The 2018 ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town remains one of the most significant controversies in modern cricket history, leading to lengthy bans for then-captain Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft. Greenberg served as the chief executive of the Australian Cricketers' Association at the time of the original incident. Public interest in the episode continues to surface whenever players from that era share new personal accounts of what took place behind the scenes.