Australia’s 2018 ball-tampering “Sandpapergate” controversy is getting new attention as reports resurface allegations involving former bowling coach David Saker and claims about sandpaper use beyond that Cape Town Test. NDTV and Times of India say Saker is accused of advising Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft to lie during a press conference about the sandpaper.
Separately, Yahoo Sports and Times of India feature a different thread: former Australian spinner Stuart MacGill says he used sandpaper on his thumb to rough up balls in earlier matches. Times of India adds that the renewed debate is linked to revelations described in Usman Khawaja’s memoir, which it says points to broader team involvement and a focus on reverse swing approaches, while Cricket Australia maintains the wider team was unaware of wrongdoing in 2018.
Overall, the coverage mixes claims about press-conference conduct during the 2018 scandal with admissions that sandpaper-like ball tampering may have existed before the 2018 incident.
