Fast bowler rejects Usman Khawaja’s ball-tampering claims and refuses to read new book
Mitchell Starc has rejected Usman Khawaja’s explosive claim that every member of the Australian team knew of the ball-tampering plot during the infamous 2018 Test series against South Africa, declaring he has no intention of reading his former teammate’s book and suggesting it was up to Khawaja whether they maintain a relationship in the future.
With Khawaja’s allegations – which were backed up by former Test teammate David Warner on Monday evening – threatening to overshadow the start of Australia’s home Test summer, Cricket Australia’s nightmare played out at a Kayo Sports launch in Sydney on Tuesday.
Starc became the first member of Australia’s current Test team to face the media since Khawaja’s book Sabr, which was released on Tuesday, reignited debate over who knew what during the ill-fated tour that culminated in Cameron Bancroft being caught concealing sandpaper down his trousers in Cape Town.
The veteran fast bowler was polite but bristled visibly when asked questions about the scandal, with a Cricket Australia media manager attempting to move the press conference along to a different subject less than four minutes after it began.
This time, the wounds of 2018 have been reopened not by the media but by one of Starc’s former Test teammates.
Starc said he stood by a joint statement released in 2021 with fellow bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon denying they had any knowledge that sandpaper had been taken onto the field in Cape Town to tamper with the ball.
That account is at odds with Khawaja’s claim that “everyone knew”.
“I thought we were here for the summer of cricket,” Starc said with a laugh. “I haven’t really paid much attention to it [the coverage of Khawaja’s claims]. Obviously, there are different opinions to about eight years ago. We were heavily drilled through the process at the time since. Now, I guess, I won’t speak on behalf of the bowlers, but where I stand, my opinion hasn’t changed. My recollection hasn’t changed from what we said in 2021.”
Asked whether “everyone knew”, Starc responded: “It’s obviously in a book. That’s for someone to explain further. As far as our statement said [in 2021], we weren’t aware of it being taken on the field. That’s where I’ll leave it.”
Asked whether he knew the ball was being tampered with in one way or another, Starc said: “We weren’t aware it was taken on the field to be tampered with. We saw it on the big screen [for the first time] in Cape Town. As far as the book’s concerned, I haven’t read it and probably won’t read it, so that’s for Usman to elaborate on.”
Starc also denied knowing that Bancroft or any other Australian player had used sandpaper during the second Test in Port Elizabeth, as alleged by Khawaja.
“That’s the first I was aware of it [in Cape Town]. I’ll leave that for the said author to explain,” Starc said.
“I [am] sticking to what I said five years ago. Clearly there’s different versions from different people, and I’ll leave it where I left it back then.”
Beyond the conflicting accounts of what unfolded in South Africa, Khawaja’s revelations appear to have strained relationships with some of his former teammates.
Starc said he had not spoken to Khawaja “in the last day or two”, but when asked whether he would ever speak to him again, his response was telling.
“It’s up to him,” Starc said.
With Australia preparing for the first Test against New Zealand in Perth on December 9, Starc made no secret of his frustration that the scandal had once again become a major talking point.
“It’s definitely disappointing,” he said. “That’s what we’re talking about heading into what has already kicked off an exciting summer. Different people felt different ways about it at the time and throughout, and certainly through the last eight years.
“I think not only the certain players, but certainly there’s some staff members. ‘Boof’ [coach Darren Lehmann] for one has spoken a little bit as well. He’s not to be forgotten in all of that, too. I think Travis [Head] said it best the other day that the group has changed a lot. We certainly look forward to what’s coming up more so than what’s been gone.”
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Tom Decent is the chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.