Mitchell Starc has firmly rejected allegations of involvement in the 2018 sandpaper scandal, maintaining his innocence as Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed it will not launch a fresh inquiry. The controversy has resurfaced following the publication of Usman Khawaja’s new autobiography, in which the former opener claims the Australian squad was aware of illegal ball-tampering practices prior to the Cape Town Test. Khawaja asserts that the entire team knew of the plot that led to Cameron Bancroft being caught red-handed, challenging the original investigation’s conclusion that only the three main players were culpable.
Khawaja’s explosive claims revive 2018 scandal, but Starc and co. stand by their 2021 denial.
The original probe resulted in 12-month bans for then-captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner, while Bancroft received a nine-month suspension due to his rookie status. At the time, the official inquiry found no evidence of wrongdoing by other members of the squad, a finding that has long attracted skepticism from critics and fans. Starc, alongside fellow quicks Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, and spinner Nathan Lyon, released a joint statement in 2021 explicitly denying any knowledge of the incident. Starc’s recent comments reinforce this position, signaling that the players involved remain united in their defense against Khawaja’s retrospective accusations.
CA chief executive Todd Greenberg’s decision to rule out a new investigation underscores the administrative stance that the matter is closed, despite the fresh narrative introduced by Khawaja. For Starc and his peers, the focus remains on moving past the shadow of the 2018 saga, which significantly impacted their careers and the national team’s reputation. As the debate intensifies in the media, the players’ consistent denial stands in stark contrast to Khawaja’s claims, leaving a lingering question over whether the full extent of the team’s awareness was ever truly uncovered.
Source: The Independent Sport
