Former Indian spinner Murali Kartik has jumped into the debate sparked by Usman Khawaja’s memoir Sabr, in which the batter claimed that the whole Australian team—including current Test skipper Pat Cummins—was aware of the 2018 Sandpapergate plot in Cape Town. During a recent press briefing, Cummins firmly rejected Khawaja’s assertions, denying any prior knowledge or involvement in the ball-tampering scheme against South Africa. Both Cummins and fast bowler Mitchell Starc have pushed back against Khawaja, accusing him of sensationalizing the incident to boost book sales and questioning why the claims emerged alongside the release of Sabr. Siding firmly with Khawaja, Kartik slammed Cummins’ denial, contending that the bowlers would naturally be informed first if a plan to alter the ball’s condition was put into motion. In an appearance on Cricbuzz, Kartik recalled how a brief investigation in 2018 resulted in only three players taking the fall, even though tampering is carried out specifically to aid the bowling unit. He maintained that it defies logic for a bowler to claim ignorance while teammates are actively doctoring the ball for their benefit. Expressing surprise that only three players faced consequences, Kartik dismissed the denials by asking, “Are we in kindergarten to accept that sort of thing?” He further remarked that while cricket circles had long anticipated a tell-all book from David Warner, Khawaja stepped forward instead to state that the entire dressing room knew—a reality Kartik is convinced the current squad is trying to cover up by staying on the same page.
