Update
'Sandpapergate': Mitchell Starc denies knowledge after Usman Khawaja claims as Cricket Australia says investigation will not be re-opened
Usman Khawaja claims in new book 'Sabr' that every Australia player was aware of ball-tampering scheme in Cape Town in 2018; current Test captain Pat Cummins set to speak to media in coming days and weeks; Mitchell Starc says recollections have not changed as he denies knowledge of plot
Tuesday 10 November 2026 11:51, UK
Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc has denied any prior knowledge of 'Sandpapergate' after former team-mate Usman Khawaja's explosive claims that the entire dressing room knew about the ball-tampering scheme in South Africa in 2018.
Khawaja made the revelations in his new book 'Sabr', bringing the scandal back onto the agenda after eight years.
David Warner - who said on Monday that Khawaja's version of events was "100 per cent accurate" - then captain Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft were banned after the sandpaper affair, with Cricket Australia asserting only that trio were privy to the plot to alter the condition of the ball in order to try and make it swing.
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The bowlers in that Cape Town Test - seamers Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood and spinner Nathan Lyon - released a joint statement in 2021 saying they were not aware of the tampering.
Starc: My recollection hasn't changed
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, after Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg insisted there would be no re-opening of the 'Sandpapergate' investigation, Starc said of Khawaja's claims: "I haven't really paid much attention to it to be fair.
"There are differing opinions of eight years ago. We were heavily grilled through the process, at the time and since.
"I won't speak on behalf of the bowlers but from where I stand my opinion hasn't changed, my recollection hasn't changed from what we said in 2021.
"As far as our statement said, we weren't aware of things being taken on the field. That's where I'll leave it.
"I will be sticking to what I said five years ago, what I said at the time eight years ago, so clearly there is differing versions from different people.
"We weren't aware of anything taken on the field to be tampered with. We saw it 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."
On Khawaja saying the ball was also tampered with in the Test before the Cape Town fixture, at Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha, Starc added: "That's the first I was aware of any of that."
Healy: Timing of Khawaja comments 'a little bit sticky'
Starc's wife, former Australia captain Alyssa Healy, addressed the fallout on the Keepin' it Cricket podcast after Khawaja insisted he had not "thrown anyone under the bus", with the 36-year-old calling the timing of his comments "sticky".
Healy said: "Been scraping off bits of Mitch off the bitumen after the bus had just hit him over the last two days.
"I'm obviously in quite a unique predicament: I'm working in the media, I have to comment on these things [and] I'm also married to one of the players who is still playing who was there in that series and experienced all of that eight years ago.
"It's a hard one for me to comment on. I'm kind of going to sit back and watch it unfold I think, first and foremost, but what I will say is that the timing of it is just a little bit sticky for me. I don't like that."
A statement from the Australian Cricketers' Association called the 2018 scandal a "low point for Australian cricket" for which Smith, Warner and Bancroft paid an "enormous" and "disproportionate" price.
The statement added: "There are no winners in this issue, and nothing can undo what happened. There are humans in the centre of this and we will be calling for the ongoing vitriol directed at those involved to come to an end."
Cricket Australia: No compelling reason to re-open 'Sandpapergate' case
Current Test captain Cummins is poised to speak about the issue publicly in the coming days or weeks, according to Greenberg.
Greenberg, who was not part of Cricket Australia at the time of the scandal, told Australian radio station SEN on the decision not to launch a fresh inquiry: "We don't see any compelling reason to open the investigation or revisit this again.
"I don't think there's anything that can be gained from that.
"We have said we're comfortable with the outcome of the investigation based on the information we've received. That includes what we've seen from Usman. Our position hasn't changed on that.
"There's absolutely no benefit in going back, that's the clear position of the CA board. I think it's fine, we've got to look ahead, and the matter was dealt with under a previous leadership back in 2018.
"Trying to second-guess decisions from a previous time or making an assessment through the prism of hindsight is not something we want to do."
'Usman's version of events inconsistent with what others say'
Greenberg added: "When you cut to the core of the challenge that we face here, Usman's version of events is inconsistent with what others have had to say.
"I can assure you there are lots of other players who have a very, very different version of events and they have made that very public from the very start of 2018.
"They have been very consistent in their position right through until today. From my conversations with many over the weekend, I don't think that will change either.
"I think we end up at the same intersection point, which is eight years ago people have a version of events which differ from each other.
"No one would like to get this chapter of Australian cricket closed more than me, but it is unlikely."
Cummins, Starc, Lyon and Hazlewood are not part of the upcoming white-ball series at home to England.
However, batting all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who also played in the 'Sandpapergate' Test, will captain the side in the three ODIs and five T20s.
Marsh is due to give a press conference on Thursday ahead of the first ODI at Perth's Optus Stadium the following day.
Clarke: I want the truth to come out
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke hopes the truth comes to light, saying that chance was missed in the wake of the scandal in 2018 and then again three years later when Bancroft replied it was "probably self-explanatory" after being asked whether the bowling attack knew of the sandpaper use.
Clarke told 2DayFM: "[Australia fans] can't trust what's real. They don't know the truth until this gets reopened and the truth comes out. I would just like to see whatever the truth is for it all to come out, allow people to move on.
"For me, right now, there's more questions than answers. I want to know, firstly, did everyone know? Because certain players have come out and said they didn't. That's important information so we can get the truth.
Uzzy’s book has created a lot of ruckus. I assume that will all play out in the next month or so and what will be will be. Everyone, at some stage, will have to discuss certain parts about this. Everyone’s got their story so I’m not sure if we are going to hear all of that.
"I can't believe we haven't heard from Cummins yet. Steve Smith lost his job. If this doesn't happen, Tim Paine never captains Australia. And neither does Cummins.
"Cummins would not have captained a game at this stage if 'Sandpapergate' didn't happen because Smith would still be captain."
