Sydney, Nov 7:
Former Australia opening batter Usman Khawaja has reignited the 2018 ball-tampering controversy, alleging that discussions surrounding scuffing up the cricket ball with sandpaper were widespread across the Australian dressing room rather than confined to the three sanctioned individuals.
In excerpts from his forthcoming autobiography published by The Sydney Morning Herald, Khawaja claimed that talks regarding altering the ball’s surface were openly held throughout the 2018 tour of South Africa. “It was all of us,” Khawaja stated, directly challenging the scope of Cricket Australiaās (CA) original integrity inquiry, which concluded that prior knowledge of the plot at Newlands was restricted solely to Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft.
Cricket Australia quickly defended its historic integrity process on Saturday, issuing a statement affirming: “All relevant information presented to CA to date has been properly considered and we remain comfortable with the findings of our integrity process.” Khawaja, who retired from international cricket in January after representing Australia in 88 Tests, was formally cleared of wrongdoing in the initial probe. Current captain Pat Cummins had earlier downplayed expectations that the book would cause fresh tremors.