NSW captain Nic Maddinson has described Usman Khawaja’s revelations about the 2018 Sandpapergate scandal as “disappointing”, and questioned the timing of the retired Test batsman’s claims on the eve of Australia’s summer of cricket.
Extracts from Khawaja’s upcoming book, Sabr , were published over the weekend ahead of its release on Tuesday, with the former Australian opener making a series of explosive claims about the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australian cricket eight years ago.
Most notably, Khawaja suggested the entire Australian team, including the four bowlers, knew about the plot to use sandpaper on the ball against South Africa.
Maddinson was part of Australia’s recent tour of South Africa, making 56 runs across four innings, including two ducks, before being dropped for the third Test in Cape Town.
Speaking ahead of NSW’s Sheffield Shield clash against South Australia in Sydney on Wednesday, Maddinson was asked about the prospect of Khawaja, his former teammate, reopening old wounds from one of the darkest chapters in Australian cricket.
His comments came as Australian fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood trained at Cricket NSW headquarters in Sydney.
“It’s obviously disappointing that it keeps coming up. But it’s that time of year, isn’t it, when Christmas comes along and people have books to sell, so things come out,” Maddinson said.
“I think the three guys who’ve been affected the most [Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft], it doesn’t really help them at all to relive it, especially over the past month, having great series in South Africa. Obviously, the crowds weren’t as hostile [recently in South Africa], maybe as what people expected, but that stuff’s still there every day – at airports, and the general public making comments here and there.
“I guess over time it would still wear them down and [for that] to just pop up at the start of the summer going into a pretty big six months for the team is obviously disappointing for those guys.”
Maddinson said he had “no idea” Khawaja was about to reignite the controversy.
Among Khawaja’s other claims are that Bancroft used sandpaper on the ball during the preceding Test in Port Elizabeth and that he was “pissed off” two Australian players refused to take collective responsibility for the scandal.
“Cummo [Pat Cummins] is probably the one to speak to,” Maddinson said. “It’s been documented that Uzzie spoke to him and other players. I literally read the story last night because I thought you might ask me today.
“Apart from that, I live with my head in the sand, in cricket terms. I stay off my phone most of the time. I don’t read any media, so I just knew coming today there might be a few questions … regarding it.”
Smith is currently in New York but is expected to return to Australia ahead of the first Test against New Zealand on December 9.
Asked whether he noticed anything different about Smith during Australia’s return to Cape Town, the scene of the 2018 scandal, Maddinson said the former captain had appeared unfazed.
“He seemed comfortable to me. It didn’t feel like anything was out of the ordinary,” Maddinson said. “Probably just disappointed he hadn’t made a big score. [He is] probably not used to going through two Tests without a big score under his belt. He’s had to deal with that a lot in the past, but I don’t think there was anything that was noticeable while I was there.”
Maddinson was equally candid about his own performances in South Africa, conceding selectors were justified in dropping him for the final Test.
“I probably would have dropped myself, to be fair,” Maddinson said. “I just thought [Josh] Inglis coming in, a couple of guys coming back from injury and [Cam] Green available made it a pretty easy decision. When you don’t score the runs, you make it easier.
“A week before, if you’d said, ‘You’re playing Test cricket next week, where do you want to bat?’ I probably would have chosen to open.
“But [opening] wasn’t anything that was too daunting. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity and I’m just disappointed I couldn’t make the most of it. I’m happy to have had it.”
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