Cricket Australia rules out reopening Sandpapergate investigation: Todd Greenberg

Cricket Australia (CA) CEO Todd Greenberg has said that it would not reopen its investigation into the 2018 sandpaper incident. Former Australia batter Usman Khawaja has reignited conversations about one of the darkest chapters in Australian cricket, following some shocking revelations in his autobiography ‘Sabr.’

Khawaja has claimed that the entire Australian team was aware of the ball-tampering being done during the Cape Town Test against South Africa in 2018. He also alleged that the team had done it in the previous Test in Gqeberha as well.

However, Todd Greenberg feels there’s no benefit in reopening the investigation, and it’s time to look ahead. 

"There's absolutely no benefit in going back. That's the clear position of the CA board. I think it's time we've got to look ahead, and the matter was dealt with under a previous leadership back in 2018. And you know, trying to second-guess decisions from a previous time, or making an assessment through the prism of hindsight, it's not something we want to do,” Greenberg told SEN radio.

Khawaja also revealed that he was never interviewed during the investigation despite sitting next to Cameron Bancroft for the entire Cape Town Test. He has got the support of David Warner, who was handed a one-year ban from CA for his involvement in the incident, along with Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft.

Chadd Sayers, another Australian squad member in Cape Town, who played in the Johannesburg Test after the suspensions of the three players, has also backed Khawaja’s claims. 

However, Greenberg revealed that he’s spoken to other players from the Cape Town Test and that their version of events doesn’t match Khawaja’s.

"I can assure you, there are lots of other players who have a very, very different version of events, and they've made that very public from the very start in 2018. They've been very consistent in their position right through until today, and you know my conversations with many of them over the weekend, I don't think that will change either,” said Greenberg.

Greenberg also said that Australia captain Pat Cummins will also comment on the incident soon.

“So I think we end up at the same intersection point, which is eight years ago people have a version of events which differ from each other. And I completely get it, no one would like to get this chapter of Australian cricket closed more than me, but it is unlikely. There's no doubt that you'll hear from Pat and you'll hear from other players over the coming days or weeks,” he added.