Former Australia opener David Warner has accused Cricket Australia (CA) of failing to interview key players during its investigation into the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, raising questions about the thoroughness of the inquiry. Warner claimed in an Instagram post on Saturday that Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon were not questioned by CA in the aftermath of the Cape Town Test, where the incident took place.
The comments came a day after Warner criticised Test captain Pat Cummins for “throwing Usman Khawaja under the bus” following the release of Khawaja’s memoir, Sabr. Khawaja’s book alleged that the entire Australian team was aware of the plan to use sandpaper on the ball during the match, a claim Cummins dismissed as “complete and utter nonsense” at a press conference on Friday.
Warner’s Instagram post questioned how Cricket Australia could conclude the bowlers were unaware if they had not been interviewed. “As far as I am aware, CA did not interview Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc or Nathan Lyon in their 2018 investigation,” Warner wrote. “If that’s correct, then how can CA push the idea that the bowlers didn’t know? It looks like they had decided who they wanted to blame from the very beginning ran a shoddy investigation to serve the purpose and now they want to maintain the false narrative that the bowlers had no idea. That stinks of a cover up.”
The ball-tampering scandal shook Australian cricket when Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper on the ball during the third Test against South Africa. Warner and then-captain Steve Smith received one-year bans, while Bancroft was suspended for nine months. Cricket Australia faced widespread criticism over its handling of the incident and the punishments handed down.
Warner’s latest allegations come after Khawaja’s memoir reignited the controversy by suggesting that knowledge of the plan extended beyond the players who were sanctioned. Cummins, who has been captain since the scandal, firmly rejected Khawaja’s claims during a lengthy media session, stating the accusations were false.
Cricket Australia has previously stated it has no plans to reopen the investigation, despite Khawaja’s assertions and Warner’s criticisms. The governing body has maintained the position that the original inquiry was thorough and that the punishments were appropriate.
Warner’s criticism also followed his reaction on Friday to Cummins’s comments about Khawaja’s book. Warner said at the time he felt Cummins had unfairly blamed Khawaja, adding tension to the ongoing dispute within the Australian cricket community.
The matter remains unresolved, with Warner’s accusation challenging the integrity of the 2018 investigation and the narrative presented by Cricket Australia. No response from CA has been reported following Warner’s latest Instagram post.
According to Yahoo Sports.
