Melbourne [Australia], November 10 (ANI): Cricket Australia (CA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Todd Greenberg expressed that there is “no compelling reason” to reopen the investigation into the 2018 Sandpapergate incident during Australia’s South Africa tour after recent revelations from Usman Khawaja and David Warner. He stated that the board sees “absolutely no benefit in going back” despite the controversy being talked about again.
Ahead of the release of his autobiography ‘Sabr’, Khawaja had claimed that the entire Australian team, including players and support staff, was involved in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal during the South Africa tour. He said the responsibility was collective, contrary to Cricket Australia’s findings that implicated only Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. Khawaja stressed that he had expected the truth to emerge over the past eight years and spoke out to ensure the three players were not left carrying the blame alone.
Warner later came out in support of Khawaja’s statements in a social media post.
CA chief executive Greenberg said on SEN Radio, quoted by Cricinfo, “There is absolutely no benefit in going back. That is the clear position of the CA board. I think it is time we have got to look ahead, and the matter was dealt with under a previous leadership back in 2018. And you know, trying to second-guess decisions from a previous time, or making an assessment through the prism of hindsight, is not something we want to do.”
In his autobiography, not only did Khawaja call for the entire Aussie locker room to take collective responsibility for the incident, but he also said that Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft were not the sole people with knowledge of sandpaper use and the team had, in fact, used the sandpaper back in the second Test in Gqeberha before getting caught at Cape Town during the third Test.
Khawaja also revealed that he was never interviewed during the investigation process despite being next to Bancroft during the Cape Town Test. In his statement supporting Khawaja, Warner called his long-time friend and opening partner’s version of events 100 per cent accurate.
Chadd Sayers, who was in the Aussie squad in Cape Town and played in the Johannesburg Test after the suspensions were handed down, told Channel 7 on Saturday as quoted by Cricinfo: “Everything Usman says in his article is accurate.”
Cricinfo understands that one more player from the Cape Town team also confirms Khawaja’s side of things to be correct. CA stated on Saturday after Khawaja was quoted by Nine newspapers, saying that the organisation was comfortable with the findings of 2018 investigation. No one from the CA executive or CA board of 2018 is currently with the organisation.
Greenberg was not a part of CA back in 2018 but was involved with the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) as CEO from 2020-25 before taking over Cricket Australia as chief executive. As part of the ACA, he spoke to a lot of Cape Town Test participants and has also seen full transcripts of the investigation.
Speaking on Tuesday, Greenberg said that while he had not read Khawaja’s book, he received a call from the batter about it. He also said that the investigation into the incident would not be re-opened.
“We have said we are comfortable with the outcome of the investigation based on the information we’ve received, that includes what we have seen from Usman, and our position has not changed on that,” he said. “I do not see any compelling reason to open the investigation or revisit this. I do not think there is anything that can be gained from that,” he added.
The CA chief executive also said that he had spoken to other players from that Cape Town dressing room over the weekend and their version of things is different from Khawaja.
“I can assure you, there are lots of other players who have a very, very different version of events, and they have made that very public from the very start in 2018,” Greenberg said. “They have been very consistent in their position right through until today, and you know, my conversations with many of them over the weekend, I don’t think that will change either. So I think we end up at the same intersection point, which is that eight years ago people had versions of events which differ from each other. And I completely get it; no one would like to get this chapter of Australian cricket closed more than me, but it is unlikely.”
He also confirmed that Australian skipper Pat Cummins will speak about the issue in the coming days, having been one of the participants in the controversial Test. Another bowler from the line-up, Mitchell Starc, is also due for a media appearance on Tuesday. White-ball specialist Mitchell Marsh, who featured in the Cape Town Test, will also address a presser ahead of Aussies’ first ODI against England at Perth.
“There is no doubt that you will hear from Pat and you will hear from other players over the coming days or weeks. And as I said, I know people are calling for the truth, but in reference to the bowlers, I think one clear thing is they have been very consistent from the original investigation back in 2018, in the days that immediately followed this Test match,” he said.
“Again, in their public statements in 2021, and again in many of my conversations with them over the weekend, their position has remained consistent and has not changed, and there will obviously be time for them. Pat will speak at some point in the days or weeks ahead, but I expect that their position will be the same as it has been since the start of this in 2018,” he signed off. (ANI)
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