'Everyone knew' - 2018 Australia squad member contradicts Pat Cummins over sandpapergate and Usman Khawaja's claims

Former Australia pacer Chadd Sayers has publicly contradicted Pat Cummins' position on the 2018 sandpapergate scandal, backing the account that Usman Khawaja laid out in his book. Sayers was part of the Australian squad that toured South Africa between February 22 and April 3, 2018, serving as 12th man for much of that series.

Speaking ahead of the second ODI between Australia and England in Adelaide on Sunday, November 15, Sayers said he recalled a team meeting in Cape Town where the squad discussed taking collective responsibility for the ball-tampering incident. He also stated that he had not been interviewed by Cricket Australia during its investigation into the sandpaper incident, a detail that adds weight to questions about the scope of that inquiry.

"I'm comfortable sitting here right now, and where I stand on the situation, that I believe that everyone in that side knew what was going on and what was being used. I think I've probably been portrayed in the media as taking Usman's side because I've spoken out and acknowledged that that was probably the truth, but I'm neutral in all this. I'm just trying to tell my side of the story and what I believe happened," Sayers told SEN Radio.

What did Sayers say about his awareness of the sandpaper plan?

Sayers played his one and only Test in Johannesburg on that tour, in the immediate aftermath of the ball-tampering, when he replaced an injured Mitchell Starc for the final match of the series. His recollections backed up the claims that Khawaja made in his book, while he also added that - as 12th man - he had been charged with removing the sandpaper from the field at Port Elizabeth, after Cameron Bancroft had been spotted using it on the ball during the third Test.

Sayers was direct about when and how he became aware that sandpaper would be used during the third Test at Port Elizabeth. He described his own role in the incident as unplanned, explaining that he happened to be the squad member carrying drinks onto the field at the relevant moment, which is how the sandpaper ended up in his hands. When asked when he first became aware of the use of sandpaper.

"In Port Elizabeth. As it's known now, it was used in two Test matches and there was discussions in the changing-rooms about how were we going to get the ball to reverse, and what was going to be used. I just knew that it was going to be used, as I believe everyone else did. I guess the plan was that Cameron Bancroft was going to take that out, the ball was going to be dropped on the ground by the umpires and he was going to go about his business … [the sandpaper] was given to me to take off, so that wasn't planned or anything, I was just the player who took the drinks out at the time," Sayers added.

How do Sayers' recollections relate to Khawaja's published account?

Sayers also noted that Cricket Australia never approached him for an interview during its official investigation into the incident, raising questions about whether the inquiry captured the full picture from all squad members who were present. His account directly contradicts the position that Pat Cummins has maintained regarding how widely knowledge of the sandpaper plan was shared within the touring party.

"After the occurrence in Cape Town we all sat in the change-rooms after that day's play, probably for 60 to 90 minutes, and just talked about what had happened and guess where to next. I would have thought as a team, when you're trying to get the ball to reverse, that everyone would buy in because if one little thing goes wrong in the field to the ball, it stops it from reversing straight away. So, yeah, as I said, I'm pretty confident to say that everyone knew," Sayers added.

"Just to clarify 'As far as I am aware' was the POINT. I was never told the bowlers had been interviewed or provided statements. That information would've been pretty useful when I was forced to make decisions back in 2018. Why weren't we given all the evidence by CA?" Sayers expressed via his Instagram account.

The 2018 South Africa tour remains one of the most scrutinised episodes in Australian cricket history, and Sayers' comments represent the latest challenge to the official narrative that emerged from Cricket Australia's investigation at the time.