Usman Khawaja has found a new ally, with former Australian cricketer Chadd Sayers backing Khawaja’s version of events on the 2018 scandal in South Africa.
Sayers played his only Test for Australia in 2018, the final match against South Africa at Johannesburg, and he was the 12th man in Cape Town.
Speaking on radio on Sunday, he said everyone knew sandpaper was being used to roughen the ball.
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“I’m comfortable sitting here right now and where I stand on the situation that I believe that everyone in that side knew what was going on and what was being used,” Sayers said on SEN.
Sayers stressed that he was a “neutral” observer in the fresh war and was “not taking sides”.
“I’m just trying to tell my side of the story and what I believe happened,” he said.
He said he first became aware that sandpaper was being used in Port Elizabeth.
“It was used in two Test matches and there were discussions in change rooms of how we were going to get the ball to reverse and what was going to be used,” he said
Sayers admitted his recollection was not as clear as it was eight years ago.
“(But) I just know that there was numerous conversations of it around in the change rooms,” he said.
“I don’t recollect (whose idea it was), but obviously David Warner was not going to do it. Cam Bancroft stepped in and said he would.”
He said Warner was never going to be the one with the sandpaper given his reputation as the “bad boy of the Australian cricket side” during that era.
“Cameras were always going to be on him (Warner) so he was not going to take part of it,” Sayers said.
“I just knew that it was going to be used as I believe everyone else did.
“The plan was that Cameron Bancroft was going to take that out, the ball was going to be dropped on the ground by the umpires and he was going to go about business.”
Sayers admitted he also had a role with the sandapaper.
“(The sandpaper) was given to me to take off, so that wasn’t planned or anything. I was just the player who took the drinks out at the time,” he said.
“I recall it was a wicket or a drinks break after tea … (and I go) onto the field with drinks, and yeah, it was passed onto me … I assume by Cameron Bancroft, yep.”
Asked what he did with the sandpaper, Sayers said he couldn’t remember.
“Obviously took it off and took it out of sight. But after that occasion that was not used again in that Test match,” he said.
He said he was unsure if sandpaper was used in the first innings in Cape Town, but was “pretty sure” it was used in the second innings.
He said he was unsure how he felt about the use of sandpaper at the time because he was just trying to “fit into the Australian side” as was Bancroft.
“We were probably a young demographic then,” Sayers said.
“So, probably not, didn’t know how big it was going to get and I guess you probably don’t think you’re going to get caught doing it.
“Just going along with everyone else and trying to win a game of cricket.”
He said after the occurrence in Cape Town, the team sat in the change rooms after that day’s play for 60-90 minutes.
“We talked about what had happened and I guess where to next,” he said.
“I guess it was always going to happen with this seriousness of what the allegations were. So, it was just as I said, it was about what had happened, where we stood with that and how we were going to move forward.
“I guess at that stage we probably didn’t know the severity back in Australia as well.”
Sayers also confirmed Khawaja’s version of events about two players who objected to the idea of taking collective responsibility for the sandpaper.
“Vaguely. As I said, eight years ago is a long time and there’s a lot of things to take in on that day, but I vaguely remember two players, yeah,” he said.
“I’m not going to mention names, no … (but) I think obviously players are probably concerned about their own spot in the Australian cricket side.
“There was a lot, as I said, a young demographic at the time. Probably not the most experienced batting unit going around and probably one that was not cemented either.
“We didn’t know the severity or the punishments that were to come.”
Sayers said he was not interviewed as part of Cricket Australia’s investigation.
He said when the findings came down from Cricket Australia, he was “a bit curious” as to why it was assumed that only three players knew about the sandpaper “when I obviously knew and I thought other people knew as well”.
Cricket Australia says that all players were given the opportunity to speak at the time of the investigation.
“And they have had the ability to come forward with new evidence in the eight years since,” a spokesperson said.
“Subsequently, CA has respected every player and former player’s right to provide their own version of events.”
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg has ruled out launching a fresh investigation into the saga at this stage.
Meanwhile, Pat Cummins said Khawaja was “100 per cent wrong” about the bowlers knowing “sandpaper was going out in the field”.
“But I think Usman actually said things that are more serious. He says that I and others were architects of a scheme to ball tamper with sandpaper — that’s complete and utter nonsense,” Cummins said in an extraordinary press conference on Friday.
“I was genuinely shocked this week that Usman admitted that he told Cam be careful when using sandpaper. That’s not the Usman who I know.
“It’s not the Usman who I think has been part of a team that has helped rebuild Australian cricket culture over the last eight years, and the Usman who would have stopped that from happening.
“Friends aren’t casual with lives and reputations. He’s been casual with my life and many others. We have to be accountable for the things that we say and do.”
