Last Updated on 1 hour ago by Charbel Coorey
David Warner has lashed out at Cricket Australia (CA), claiming that the investigation into sandpapergate eight years ago “stinks of a cover-up.”
The former Australia opener has not held back in his response to Pat Cummins’ marathon press conference at Cricket Central in Western Sydney on Friday. Cummins spoke to media for over an hour, labelling Usman Khawaja’s claims as “complete and utter nonsense,” and Warner has rebuked the claims both via Kayo Sports and social media.
“Pat Cummins was very well prepared. I still stick by Uzzy and what he’s written in that book. It’s the truth,” Warner said on Kayo Sports’ coverage of the first Australia-England ODI at Perth Stadium.
“I feel for him at the moment, and I think the captain [Cummins] today actually threw Uzzy under the bus and I’m very disappointed by that.”
David Warner accuses Cricket Australia of cover-up in sandpapergate investigation
Warner doubled down on social media, accusing CA of not interviewing key members of the bowling attack after the infamous Newlands Test of 2018. He also believes CA had a set idea of who to blame rather than undertake a proper investigation.
“As far as I am aware, CA did not interview Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc or Nathan Lyon in their 2018 investigation. If that’s correct, then how can CA push the idea that the bowlers didn’t know?” Warner wrote.
“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 bowlers had no idea.
“That stinks of a cover-up.”
However, a source close to the bowlers reportedly told ABC News that all bowlers were interviewed. Cummins himself said that he was an “open book” during the investigation.
“They were all interviewed. [Warner’s] comments are just not true,” the source said.
CA have also responded to the claims with a statement. The board wrote that all players were invited to come forward with information that would help the investigation process.
“As we have stated previously, all players were given the opportunity to speak at the time of the initial investigation and have had the ability to come forward with new evidence in the eight years since,” the statement read.
“Subsequently, CA has respected every player and former players right to provide their own version of events.”
The saga is showing no signs of slowing down. Usman Khawaja was due to have an interview with The Grade Cricketer podcast on Sunday, but has now been moved to Thursday.
