Usman Khawaja has been accused by several members of the Australian team, including Pat Cummins and fellow pacer Mitchell Starc, of making those remarks to promote or “sell” his book.
Former India spinner Murali Kartik has shared his views on the controversy surrounding Usman Khawaja’s recent remarks on the Sandpapergate scandal that rocked Australian cricket in 2018. Khawaja, in his memoir Sabr, suggested that the entire Australian team, including current Test captain Pat Cummins, was aware of the plan to use sandpaper during the Cape Town Test against South Africa. However, Cummins, during a recent press conference, denied allegations that he was involved in or aware of the plot.
Khawaja has been accused by several members of the Australian team, including Pat Cummins and fellow pacer Mitchell Starc, of making those remarks to promote or “sell” his book. Cummins rejected the claims made in Sabr, while Starc also questioned the timing and motive behind the revelations, suggesting they had surfaced primarily because of the book’s release.
However, Murali Kartik sided with Usman Khawaja in the ongoing debate and blasted Cummins for his claims, arguing that bowlers would have been among the first people informed if such a plan had been approved.
“When it happened, there was a mini probe and three players were sent to the galley. Everyone knew what was happening. The problem is that if and when something like this happens, it’s for the sake of the bowlers. ‘Devious, underhand, wrong’ – let’s not go there. Once that is happening, and if I am the bowler while the other two guys are doing it for me, I don’t know how anyone can say that I didn’t know about it. How can anyone say that?” Kartik said on Cricbuzz.
Kartik said it was difficult to believe that the bowlers were unaware of the plot to alter the condition of the ball, especially when the actions were allegedly being carried out to benefit them.