When sandpaper comes to mind, it usually relates to a weekend trip to a suburban hardware store. Yet, the Australian men\u2019s cricket team has somehow turned this humble home maintenance staple into a symbol of scandal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a 2018 Test series against South Africa, captain Steve Smith and fellow batters David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were exposed for conspiring to tamper with the ball (using sandpaper to create an aerodynamic imbalance) during the third match in Cape Town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This so-called \u201cSandpapergate\u201d led to a media storm and widespread condemnation, including by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The three players were suspended and fined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scandal was widely revisited in the sport media when the team returned to Cape Town in October during the Test series in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, a decade later, the scandal is back in the spotlight after retired batter Usman Khawaja, who was on the 2018 tour, began promoting his soon-to-be published autobiography, Sabr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most telling revelation from Khawaja was that Sandpapergate was not a rogue enterprise involving just three players \u2013 he said in a media interview: \u201cit was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The official Cricket Australia (CA) line that it was a one-off infraction by a fraction of the team, is therefore cast into serious doubt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the governing body recently insisted: \u201call relevant information presented to CA to date has been properly considered and we remain comfortable with the findings of our integrity process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khawaja claims he unsuccessfully urged the whole dressing room at the time to take collective responsibility, but it was just \u201cthose three guys [who] got crucified\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also stated sandpaper had been used on the ball by Australia in the previous Test match in Port Elizabeth\/Gqeberha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n