‘Australian cricket as a whole…’ – Usman Khawaja opens up about sandpaper scandal ahead of Test series against South Africa

Australia Test opener Usman Khawaja said that the hosts are ready to play South Africa in a Test match for the first time since the ball-tampering saga. He shared that the aftermath of the sandpaper incident that shook world cricket four years ago has not been discussed ever since. David Warner recently decided to take his appeal back over a lifetime leadership ban that was issued as a result of what happened in Cape Town back in 2018. Prior to the first Test in Brisbane, his teammates had not discussed the event specifically.

Khawaja was in and out of the team for some years, but now he is one of the consistent batters for his side in world cricket and enters the series with a career-best 1066 runs in 2022. He has played 53 Test matches so far and has scored 3953 runs in the 94 innings he has played so far. His highest score in Tests is 174  against New Zealand at Brisbane. He has scored 19 fifties and 12 tons in this format. 

A lot of the guys have matured as cricketers and humans: Usman Khawaja

“Australian cricket as a whole and as individual players probably hit rock bottom. It gives you a lot of time to reflect on things. Guys have genuinely learnt a lot from that incident,” said Khawaja quoted in Fox Cricket.

“I look at where the guys were four years ago and where the guys are now and there has been a lot of growing up. I probably got to see it better than most because I was in the team, then I went away and came back in and it is a nice change. In the run-up to the game, the ball-tampering incident has been a big subject, but Khawaja thinks that the players have moved past it. “I’m being genuine that time heals all wounds. I guess in a way the guys have come so far from that,’’ Khawaja said. 

“Obviously, being part of that tour I know we are a very different Australian cricket team from what we were back then – the way we go about it, the way we play. A lot of the guys have matured as cricketers and humans. They are a bit older, a couple more kids, we play our cricket differently. It’s the first time we have played South Africa after what happened, but everyone has got so many things happening in their lives from where they were four years ago. I think that actually gave the guys a lot of perspective,” he added.