Graeme Hick denies knowledge of 2018 Khawaja ball-tampering claims, Digi Mart USA News: Australia’s former batting coach Graeme Hick has described ball-tampering allegations made by Usman Khawaja as “absolutely false” and denied any knowledge of a plan to use sandpaper during the 2018 South African tour.
Khawaja’s claims in his new book Sabr have set the cricket world alight, with close mate David Warner backing up his version of events. Fast bowler Mitchell Starc and former head coach Darren Lehmann have rejected Khawaja’s claims, while Mitchell Marsh is due to speak on Thursday.
Hick, who was on the Australian staff from 2016 to 2020, told The Sydney Morning Herald that he was “disappointed” by the comments Khawaja has made. “I have seen the various statements around the coaches and I’m very disappointed with the broad nature of them,” he said.
Quoting Khawaja, Hick said: “‘It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff.
All of us’. To me, what Khawaja is implying here is absolutely false.”
Hick said he did not hear or know anything about any discussions around the ball-tampering in Port Elizabeth or Cape Town. “My first knowledge of all this was, like many, when it appeared on the big screen in Cape Town as I was sat on the outside balcony at the time,” he said.
Peter Handscomb, who was in the Test squad at the time and spoke to Lehmann via walkie-talkie after Cameron Bancroft was caught with sandpaper, declined to address the incident on Wednesday evening. “I appreciate you have to ask these questions,” he said after making a century for Victoria in a Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia.
“I’ll sort of just let the powers of be do their thing.”
Test skipper Pat Cummins has not addressed Khawaja’s claims, despite releasing a joint statement with Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood five years ago distancing themselves from the ball-tampering.
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who condemned the Australian players involved in 2018, responded to Khawaja’s account. Khawaja wrote in his book that he believed Turnbull made the situation worse the morning after Bancroft was caught using sandpaper.
Turnbull said he was surprised by that view. “I’m surprised that Usman thinks the only reason this was big deal was because the prime minister said he was disappointed.
I think every Australian was disappointed. I don’t think I said anything unusual,” Turnbull told the Herald.
Cricket Australia will not reopen its investigation into the 2018 saga, which at the time found Bancroft, Warner and Steve Smith to be the main culprits, resulting in heavy suspensions for all three players.
