Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has reportedly disputed the assertions of innocence made by teammates Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon regarding the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, commonly known as the sandpaper scandal. According to a report from The Cricket News, Khawaja's comments suggest that the bowling quartet's claims of being unaware of the plan to alter the ball's condition are not accurate.
The sandpaper scandal, which occurred during a Test match in South Africa, led to lengthy bans for then-captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner, and batsman Cameron Bancroft. The incident has continued to reverberate through Australian cricket, with ongoing discussions about the extent of knowledge among other players. Khawaja's latest remarks add a new dimension to the narrative, potentially reopening questions about the team's culture at the time.
