Chadd Sayers Claims Entire Australian Team Knew of Plot

News Desk

SYDNEY: Former Australian Test fast bowler Chadd Sayers has publicly backed teammate Usman Khawaja’s explosive revelation that the entire national squad was fully aware of the infamous 2018 “Sandpapergate” ball-tampering plot in South Africa, directly contradicting current Test captain Pat Cummins’ long-standing denials regarding the controversy.

Sayers, who was a member of the touring squad in South Africa and subsequently made his Test debut in the fourth match at Johannesburg, confirmed that the plan to alter the condition of the ball was widely understood inside the dressing room. .

Speaking on Australia’s SEN radio station, the retired pacer insisted that everyone in that side knew what was going on and what materials were being used to generate artificial swing during the fiercely contested series, lending further credibility to Khawaja’s recent autobiography claims that sandpaper was utilized prior to the third Test in Cape Town.

These latest comments significantly undermine the official findings of Cricket Australia’s original 2018 investigation, which concluded that knowledge of the illicit scheme was confined strictly to then-captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner, and batsman Cameron Bancroft.

Although all three key figures received lengthy international bans, several high-profile figures and commentators have repeatedly criticized the probe as an effort to shield the team’s core bowling attack and coaching staff from broader disciplinary action.

With Warner, Khawaja, and now Sayers openly challenging the governing body’s historical narrative, public scrutiny surrounding Cricket Australia’s transparency has intensified once again.

As former players continue to speak out, the administration faces renewed demands from cricket commentators and fans to provide a complete and honest accounting of one of the most damaging scandals in modern international sport.