Chadd Sayers Says Australia’s Players Knew About Sandpaper Plan
Former Australia fast bowler Chadd Sayers has reignited debate over the 2018 Cape Town ball-tampering scandal, saying he believed the entire team knew sandpaper was being used to alter the ball. Sayers also disclosed that he personally carried the sandpaper off the field during the Test and was never interviewed by Cricket Australia (CA) as part of its investigation.
Speaking to SEN on Sunday, November 15, Sayers described a plan that, in his recollection, had begun before the incident involving Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera in Cape Town. He said discussions about producing reverse swing had taken place during the preceding Test in Port Elizabeth, now known as Gqeberha.
“As it’s known now, it was used in two Test matches,” Sayers said, adding that there had been conversations in the dressing room about how to make the ball reverse and what might be used to achieve it. His account has renewed questions about how widely the plan was understood within the Australian squad—and whether the investigation at the time captured every player’s perspective.
Sayers Recalls Carrying the Sandpaper From the Field
Sayers said he was carrying drinks after tea when the sandpaper was passed to him to take off the field. He recalled that the moment came around a wicket or a drinks break, but said the task had not been arranged in advance. He was simply the player taking drinks out at that point in the innings.
He could not remember who first suggested that the item be removed. However, he recalled David Warner declining to carry it, with Bancroft then volunteering. Sayers said Warner was under intense scrutiny at the time and was likely to attract attention from television cameras. The details add a personal account to the sequence of events that became one of the most damaging episodes in modern Australian cricket.
Sayers acknowledged that he went along with what was happening. He said he was trying to establish himself in the national team and, like Bancroft, may not have understood the scale of the consequences. He also reflected that players might not have expected to be caught. His comments offer a frank description of the pressures and group dynamics he says were present, while stopping short of excusing his own involvement.
Disagreement Over Who Knew About the Plan
The central dispute is whether the ball-tampering plan was limited to a small group or known more broadly across the team. Sayers said he was confident that everyone in the side understood what was being done, reasoning that reverse swing depends on the condition of the ball and how it is handled in the field.
That account conflicts with the longstanding position of Australia’s frontline bowlers, including Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon, who have denied knowing about the plan. Cummins recently reiterated that he did not believe the whole team was aware. In a press conference, he also described Usman Khawaja’s claims about team-wide knowledge as “100% wrong” and “utter nonsense.”
Sayers said he found the exchange uncomfortable, particularly the personal tone directed at Khawaja. He explained that he was not trying to take sides and described both men as having treated him well during his time in the Test squad. Rather, he said, he was speaking about what he believed to be true based on his own recollection.
A Dressing-Room Meeting and Questions About Accountability
Sayers also recalled a lengthy meeting in the dressing room after the Cape Town events became public. He estimated that players spoke for between 60 and 90 minutes about what had happened and what should come next. Cummins has said he does not remember such a meeting.
According to Sayers, two players may have objected during the discussion, although he declined to identify them. He suggested that the group’s silence afterward could have reflected uncertainty and concern about individual places in the team. At the time, he said, players did not know how severe the penalties would be.
The question of collective responsibility has resurfaced following claims in Khawaja’s autobiography. Khawaja argued that the team knew about the plan and that Steve Smith, Warner and Bancroft ultimately bore the consequences. Warner has separately accused CA of a cover-up, suggesting the bowling group was not interviewed. Sayers’ statement that CA never spoke to him has added another point to the scrutiny of the original inquiry, although it does not, by itself, establish what investigators asked other players.
Sayers Says CA Never Interviewed Him
Sayers said players had been told to remain near the team hotel because interviews were expected, but no one ever approached him. He also said he had not discussed the matter with CA since leaving South Africa and did not know that the governing body later established an anonymous hotline.
His remarks raise questions about the scope of the investigation and how evidence was gathered from squad members who were not among the three players sanctioned. They also underline why recollections of the tour remain significant: the scandal led to major suspensions, a leadership crisis and lasting damage to Australia’s reputation. Even years later, differing accounts continue to shape public discussion of what happened.
From Scandal to Test Debut
Sayers played his only Test in the series finale after the Cape Town match. He said the controversy has often overshadowed what should have been a personal milestone. Rather than being remembered primarily for his debut, he said, his experience of the tour is repeatedly pulled back into conversations about the ball-tampering incident.
Speaking publicly has brought some relief, he added, because he had felt unable to tell his version of events. He hopes the debate will eventually settle so attention can return to cricket and the season ahead. For fans following the latest cricket news, the renewed claims are a reminder that the Cape Town affair is not simply a closed chapter: it remains a live disagreement about knowledge, accountability and the limits of team loyalty.
As the competing accounts continue to circulate, any prediction about whether the controversy will be resolved soon remains uncertain. Sayers said he believes the truth will emerge, but also hopes the issue can eventually be put to rest. For now, his testimony has added a firsthand perspective to a debate that continues to divide former teammates and draw interest from cricket supporters around the world.
