The controversy reemerged after Khawaja’s autobiography, *Sabr: Finding My Way in Cricket and Life*, claimed sandpaper was used earlier at Port Elizabeth and was known to the entire Australian team. In response, Cummins arranged a media appearance at Cricket NSW headquarters in Sydney after reviewing the statements. Fast bowler Mitchell Starc has already rejected Khawaja's account, reaffirming that the bowling group was unaware of any tampering until television broadcasts revealed it.
Key points
Khawaja's allegations challenge previous findings by asserting that the 2018 ball-tamperi…: Khawaja's allegations challenge previous findings by asserting that the 2018 ball-tampering scheme extended beyond Bancroft, Smith, and Warner.
Australian fast bowlers continue to stand by their 2021 joint statement denying any prior…: Australian fast bowlers continue to stand by their 2021 joint statement denying any prior knowledge of the sandpaper.
The national team leadership is actively addressing the claims to resolve persistent ques…: The national team leadership is actively addressing the claims to resolve persistent questions surrounding the Cape Town scandal.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Earlier this week, Mitchell Starc denied claims made in Khawaja’s book.
Starc broke his silence to address Khawaja’s comments, saying he was not aware that sandpaper was used in the Test before Cape Town, nor during the Newlands match. The paceman said his recollection of the match had not changed from what the bowlers said in a statement issued in 2021, which denied all knowledge of the ball-tampering plan.
He said:
As far as our statement said, we weren’t aware of things being taken on the field, that’s where I’ll leave it. We weren’t aware anything was taken on to the field to be tampered with. We saw [the sandpaper] on the big screen in Cape Town.
As far as the book is concerned, I haven’t read it. I probably won’t read it. So that’s for Usman to elaborate on.
I’ll stick to what I said five years ago, what I said at the time, eight years ago. Clearly, there’s different versions from different people, and I’ll leave it where I left it back then.
The two-time major champion kept her hopes alive for a second tournament title after fighting through physical discomfort and a steep second-set deficit in Indian Wells. Her path to the knockout rounds now hinges entirely on the group stage finale featuring her compatriot. Should her American peer drop the decisive contest, the door will open for a semi-final berth.
Advanced economies are increasingly relying on foreign talent as aging domestic populations and sluggish productivity growth create critical workforce shortages. The latest findings from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development show foreign-born workers now constitute 16% of total employment across member states. This surge in naturalization underscores how major host nations are solidifying long-term residency for skilled immigrants, particularly those trained in technical disciplines.
The historic result at San Siro delivered Zinedine Zidane his first loss as France's manager and marked the hosts' first home triumph against their rivals since 1962. Both nations now sit level on 10 points heading into Sunday's final group fixtures, with the Azzurri holding the advantage on a tiebreaker. Elsewhere, England booked their place in the Nations League quarter-finals following a milestone evening for their captain.