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Former England captain Nasser Hussain has described the 2018 Australia “Sandpapergate” ball-tampering scandal and its subsequent fallout as a “complete mess.” Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Hussain reacted to revelations in Usman Khawaja’s new book that have thrust the infamous Cape Town Test back into the spotlight.
Khawaja’s Claims and Hussain’s Reaction
During the 2018 series in South Africa, Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera attempting to use sandpaper on the match ball to generate swing. Khawaja, who sat next to Bancroft in the Newlands dressing room, claims in his book that the entire team knew about the plot rather than just those who received bans—Bancroft, then-captain Steve Smith, and designated mastermind David Warner. Khawaja also stated that Cricket Australia never questioned him at the time, and that Smith talked him out of urging the team to come clean and accept collective responsibility.
Hussain told the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast: “I think it’s a complete mess.” He added, “Let’s be honest, for the history of the game, people have been trying to work out what to do with cricket balls to make it swing more, whether it be mints, sweets, throwing the ball to the ground on the bounce, Vaseline, dirt in pocket, whatever it might be.”
Hussain questioned how a team believed taking sandpaper onto the pitch was acceptable, how no one raised objections in a team meeting beforehand, and how they expected to avoid detection with numerous cameras present. He further criticized the subsequent lying and Cricket Australia’s failure to interview every player, including Khawaja.
Atherton Criticises Cricket Australia’s Handling
Fellow Sky Sports analyst Michael Atherton, currently in Australia ahead of England’s white-ball tour starting with Friday’s ODI in Perth, expects a media circus at an upcoming press conference. Australia white-ball captain Mitchell Marsh—the sole player from the hosts’ current squad who featured in the 2018 Newlands Test—is set to face reporters. Usual ODI skipper Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc were rested after issuing a joint statement in 2021 alongside spinner Nathan Lyon denying prior knowledge of the scheme.
Atherton criticized Cricket Australia’s approach eight years ago, arguing it was bound to resurface. Smith and Warner received one-year bans for Sandpapergate, while Bancroft served a nine-month suspension. Atherton does not believe a new investigation is necessary.
Atherton stated: “It was almost like the sandpaper was the straw that broke the camel’s back. It was on the back of the team having become, and Khawaja talks about it in his book, slightly out of control, a bit unlikable and with a kind of win-at-all costs mentality.” He added that Cricket Australia handed down severe sanctions that left three players to shoulder the blame while leaving questions unanswered and the door open for future fallout.
Team Struggles and Upcoming Schedule
Australia recently lost 2-1 in South Africa in their first Test series there since the ball-tampering controversy, leading to the omission of out-of-form Marnus Labuschagne for upcoming home matches against New Zealand. With a demanding calendar ahead—including matches in India, a 150th-anniversary day-night Test against England in Melbourne in March, and an away Ashes series in June and July—Atherton believes the Baggy Greens face significant pressure.
Atherton added: “The schedule is brutal and unforgiving and already there’s cracks in that team. It doesn’t feel as though the team is robust enough to get through this period. This [the ball-tampering claims] is adding a little bit more fuel to the fire.”
England’s tour of Australia features ODIs starting at 3.30am UK time—with matches in Perth on November 13, Adelaide on November 15, and Hobart on November 18—followed by a five-match T20I series beginning November 21.
