Adelaide, Nov 15 — Former Australia fast bowler Chadd Sayers said he has no doubt in his mind that the entire squad on the 2018 South Africa tour was aware of the sandpaper usage plan. Sayers also revealed that he was the one who ended up taking the sandpaper off the field.
"I’m comfortable saying where I’m sitting now that everyone knew what was going on (In South Africa in 2018). It (sandpaper) was used in two Test matches and there were discussions in change rooms... I’m not taking sides; it’s just my recollection of what took place.
"I think I've probably been portrayed in the media as taking Usman (Khawaja)'s side because I've spoken out and acknowledged that that was probably the truth. But I'm neutral in all this. I'm just trying to tell my side of the story and what I believe happened.
"There are no sides; they've both been great to me throughout my time in the Test squad so I'm not taking sides, I'm neutral in all this," Sayers was quoted as saying by SEN Radio on Sunday.
The pacer, who played only one Test match for Australia and was the 12th man for the series in South Africa, added that a plan to get the ball reversing is a collective effort, because one slip by any fielder can undo the work.
"I would have thought as a team, when you’re trying to get the ball to reverse that everyone would buy in because if one little thing goes wrong in the field to the ball, it stops it from reversing straight away. So yeah, as I said, I’m pretty confident to say that everyone knew."
Sayers then walked through the sequence of events on the day, beginning with what the team understood beforehand. “I just knew that it was going to be used as I believe everyone else did.
"The plan was that Cameron Bancroft was going to take that out; the ball was going to be dropped on the on the ground by the umpires and he was going to go about business. (The sandpaper) was given to me to take off, so that wasn’t planned or anything.
"I was just the player who took the drinks out at the time. I recall it was a wicket or a drinks break after tea. Onto the field with drinks, and yeah, it was passed onto me," he elaborated.
According to Sayers, the squad did not simply move on once the controversy broke. The players stayed back in the dressing room after the day’s play in Cape Town and spent a long stretch talking about it.
"Yes, after the occurrence in Cape Town, we all sat in the change rooms after that day’s play and probably for 60 to 90 minutes. We talked about what had happened and I guess where to next.
"I guess it was always going to happen with this seriousness of what the allegations were. So, it was just as I said, it was about what had happened, where we stood with that and how we were going to move forward. I guess at that stage we probably didn’t know the severity back in Australia as well, he said.
The scandal ended with Warner and Steve Smith, then the captain, serving 12-month suspensions, while Bancroft was banned for nine months. The entire affair has again reignited in Australian cricket since Khawaja’s autobiography ‘Sabr’ was released, with David Warner backing his claims and Test skipper Pat Cummins describing them as 100 percent wrong and utter nonsense.
Sayers also revealed Warner was never into tampering with the ball and Bancroft stepped up to do it. “In Port Elizabeth, so as it's known now, it was used in two test matches and there was discussions in change rooms of how we were going to get the ball to reverse and what was going to be used.
“I think we all know David Warner was seen as being the bad boy of the Australian cricket side at that stage and cameras were always going to be on him so he was not going to take part of it.
“I just knew that it was going to be used as I believe everyone else did. The plan was that Cameron Bancroft was going to take that out, the ball was going to be dropped on the ground by the umpires and he was going to go about business.
Sayers signed off by saying he was never interviewed by CA about the sandpaper usage during the enquiry. “Yeah, we were told pretty much not to go too far away from the hotel. We had a family period then so my wife was over there and we got told pretty much to stay around because there'll be interviews and an investigation happening.
“Obviously didn't go too far away, and was never interviewed. Not really, but maybe because we were 12th man and we didn't play in the game. Maybe because we knew too much information. I'm not too sure. I haven't spoken to Cricket Australia about that issue since leaving South Africa.”