Cricket-Sayers says he believes entire Australia team knew about Sandpapergate

Former Australia test bowler Chadd Sayers backed Usman Khawaja's claims about the Sandpapergate scandal on Sunday, saying he believes everyone in the side during the 2018 tour of South Africa ‌knew sandpaper was being used to alter the condition of the ball. The tampering, discovered during the third test at Newlands in Cape Town, led to former captain Steve Smith and vice captain David Warner being banned for 12 months by Cricket Australia (CA) from elite cricket. Cameron Bancroft received a nine-month suspension ‌for his part in the incident.

Khawaja wrote in his autobiography "Sabr: Finding my way in Cricket and Life", released on Tuesday, that knowledge of ‌the plan was not limited to the three players who were punished and was more widespread within the team. In the wake of the new allegations, CA has ruled out reopening its 2018 investigation, while Warner has accused the sports body of orchestrating a cover-up by ignoring key witnesses and seeking to pin blame on three players.

"I believe that everyone ⁠in that ​side knew what was going on ⁠and what was being used," Sayers told SEN radio. Sayers, 39, also echoed Khawaja's claim that sandpaper was used during the second test at Port Elizabeth, saying he was the player ⁠who removed it from the field.

"It (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 ... it was passed on to me," he said. Sayers, who made his only test appearance for Australia in ⁠the fourth test of the 2018 South Africa tour, said he was never interviewed as part of CA's inquiry.

He added that maybe it was because he was 12th man and didn't ⁠play ​in the game or perhaps because he knew too much information. "I'm not too sure," he said. Fast bowler Mitchell Starc denied any prior knowledge of the incident on Tuesday, while Australia captain Pat Cummins dismissed suggestions of his involvement, describing the allegations as "utter nonsense" on Friday.

Sayers, however, said ⁠he is convinced the entire team, including the bowlers, knew what was happening. "When you're trying to get the ball to reverse, everyone has to ⁠buy in because if one little ⁠thing goes wrong in the field to the ball, it stops it from reversing straight away. I'm pretty confident to say that everyone knew," he said.

"I didn't like how he (Cummins) did go at Usman and got ‌personal. I probably get why ‌but I just don't think it needed to happen."