Last Updated on 18 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey
Darren Lehmann has denied Usman Khawaja’s claims that everyone in the Australian camp knew about sandpaper in 2018.
In an interview ahead of the launch of his book Sabr, Khawaja said the sandpaper scandal was “all of us” rather than just the leadership group. “Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us,” Khawaja said.
Darren Lehmann reacts to Usman Khawaja’s sandpaper claims
Former coach Darren Lehmann, who resigned from the role amid the fallout, denies prior knowledge regarding plans to tamper the ball. He also said that ball tampering was a common occurrence around the world.
“I don’t think everyone would have known [about the use of sandpaper]. You do know ball tampering is going on because it’s been happening for 150 years,” Lehmann said, as quoted by ABC News.
“It’s just how it’s being done, and how you would know to that extent? That’s an individual case by case, to be fair.
“I can only speak to what I know, and I know ball tampering was a big part of the game of cricket. Now it is obsolete.
“That doesn’t make it right either, but that’s the case, and we paid a heavy price for that.”
Khawaja also claims he wanted to take responsibility as a team rather than have Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft take the fall. Smith and Warner were banned for 12 months, and Bancroft for nine. The latter played just two Test matches since [against England in 2019].
However, Lehmann says he can neither confirm nor deny the claims.
“I don’t remember that. There were two change rooms obviously, and there were meetings going on everywhere. To be perfectly honest I was in meetings with Cricket Australia a lot,” Lehmann said.
“That could have been the case, I don’t know. I’m not saying yes or no to that one. There will be different points of view everywhere on this whole matter.”
