‘You can’t say sandpaper’: Bowling coach David Saker told Smith, Bancroft after ball-tampering scandal
New Delhi: New revelations continue to emerge regarding the 2018 since Usman Khawaja’s explosive claims in his autobiography. It has now come to light that the coach Khawaja repeatedly referred to in his book is former Australia bowling coach David Saker.
As per a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, ex-Australia bowling coach Saker knew about the team’s ploy to use sandpaper to tamper with the ball during the against South Africa in 2018. He also encouraged Cameron Bancroft to use sandpaper during the Test match.
The Australian newspaper also claimed that Saker urged Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft to refrain from using the word ‘sandpaper’ after the scandal broke out during the Cape Town Test. Bancroft was caught on camera using sandpaper to tamper with the ball before trying to hide it inside his pants.
“According to tour sources, he urged Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft not to reveal the nature of the yellow object that had been taken onto the field at Newlands at their media conference after play on the day the scandal took off,” read a report in the Sydney Morning Herald
“You can’t say sandpaper,” Saker repeatedly told the players, adds the report.
Usman Khawaja mentioned an unnamed coach in book
In his autobiography ‘Sabr’, Khawaja claimed the entire Australian squad was aware of sandpaper being used to tamper with the ball during Australia’s tour of South Africa in 2018, a claim that several Australian players, including current Test skipper Pat Cummins, have denied in the past.
In his book, Khawaja has mentioned an unnamed coach with multiple references of him, encouraging the players to use sandpaper for ball tampering. As per the Sydney Morning Herald, Saker is the coach being referred to by the former Australian batter.
“With a smile on his face, he said, ‘Bangers [Bancroft], whatever you’re doing, we need more of it. It’s wet out there – we just need more of it’,” Khawaja wrote.
“Then I saw Bangers pick up a piece of sandpaper and put it in his pocket. The coach gave both me and Cameron a wry smile of satisfaction and walked away,” he added.
In another reference, Khawaja mentioned the coach encouraging the bowlers to continue using sandpaper to tamper with the ball’s condition to generate reverse swing.
“Guys, I don’t care what happens, but Test cricketers are too good against the straight ball. We need to get the ball shifting when it gets old. I don’t care what you have to do, or how, but we need to get it moving in the air. That’s the only chance we have,” wrote Khawaja.