The controversy resurfaced after Usman Khawaja's book claimed that support staff and the broader Australian squad were aware of ball-tampering, including lifting the quarter seam during the 2017–18 Ashes. Joe Root distanced his squad from the issue, noting he had never experienced such practices in his career and was prioritizing the upcoming matches. Australian batter Peter Handscomb also refused to address the revelations directly, stating authorities should manage the situation.
Key points
Joe Root refused to speculate on Australian dressing room matters and kept his focus on E…: Joe Root refused to speculate on Australian dressing room matters and kept his focus on England's upcoming matches.
Usman Khawaja argued that Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft should not carr…: Usman Khawaja argued that Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft should not carry the tampering blame alone.
Current and former players are deliberately avoiding public commentary on the new ball-ta…: Current and former players are deliberately avoiding public commentary on the new ball-tampering allegations.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
NEW DELHI: England Test captain
Joe Root has chosen not to comment on the fresh allegations surrounding Australia's 2018 ball-tampering scandal, popularly known as 'Sandpapergate'.
Speaking ahead of England's three-match ODI series against Australia, Root said he did not know what had happened inside the Australian dressing room and wanted to concentrate on the matches ahead.
"I wasn't in that [Australia] dressing room, I don't know what went on. I don't want to speculate. My focus is with this team right now and what we've got coming up," Root said. He added that England had no clear information about the latest claims and wanted to focus on the ODI series.
When asked whether he had experienced similar practices in cricket, Root said, "I can only speak from my own experiences and that's not how I feel, no."
Khawaja's fresh claims reopen Sandpapergate
The controversy has returned to the spotlight following revelations in former Australian batter
Usman Khawaja's autobiography, Sabr.
Khawaja claimed that ball-tampering was not limited to Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, suggesting that the wider Australian team,…
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