Sayers echoed Usman Khawaja’s account last week, describing the former Test opener’s book as “accurate” in its entirety.
The episode has generated intense coverage across Australia and beyond. In his memoir, Khawaja alleged that the entire Australian team was aware of the plot to scuff the ball with sandpaper and ought to have shouldered the blame.
Pat Cummins, who played in that squad as a bowler and now leads the national side, firmly dismissed the assertion, branding it “100% wrong” and “utter nonsense”.
The four frontline bowlers from that team — Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon — have consistently maintained they had no prior knowledge of the scheme.
David Warner weighed in on Saturday, accusing Cricket Australia of orchestrating a “cover-up” and suggesting that Hazlewood, Starc and Lyon were never questioned during the governing body’s inquiry.
Warner, along with Cameron Bancroft and then-captain Steve Smith, received lengthy suspensions for their involvement in the scandal.