New Delhi: Former India spinner Murali Kartik has strongly criticised Australian Test captain Pat Cummins over his denial of knowledge about the infamous Sandpapergate scandal that rocked Australian cricket in 2018.
The controversy has resurfaced following revelations in Usman Khawaja’s memoir, Sabr, in which the former Australian opener suggested that the entire team, including Cummins, knew about the plan to use sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball during the Cape Town Test against South Africa.
Cummins recently rejected the allegations, denying any involvement or prior knowledge of the ball-tampering plan. Fellow Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc also questioned Khawaja’s claims, suggesting that the revelations were linked to the release of his book.
However, Kartik has backed Khawaja and questioned the credibility of the suggestion that Australia’s bowlers were unaware of the plan. He argued that since the alleged activity was intended to benefit the bowling attack, it was difficult to believe that the bowlers had no knowledge of it.
Kartik pointed out that the bowlers would naturally have been among the first people informed if such a plan had been discussed and approved within the team.
He also expressed surprise that only three players faced disciplinary action following the scandal, arguing that the involvement and awareness could have extended beyond those directly caught carrying out the act.
Kartik further questioned why the Australian players were continuing to reject the allegations and suggested that several members of the team could be trying to maintain a consistent version of events.
The Sandpapergate controversy emerged during Australia’s 2018 Test tour of South Africa. Cameron Bancroft was caught attempting to alter the ball’s condition, leading to major disciplinary action against Bancroft, then captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner.
The fresh claims have once again brought the controversial episode into the spotlight, reopening questions about how much the Australian team knew about the incident.
