Former Australian coach Justin Langer dropped a bombshell on the Sandpaper Gate controversy amid the first-ever Test series between South Africa and Australia on South African soil since the incident.
Langer claimed that Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft were scapegoated, and that not just the entire Australian team but all other teams in the world were involved in ball tampering.
Langer pointed out that reverse swing has become a dying art since the infamous Test match in 2018 at Cape Town, where the Australian trio was caught. The ex-Australian opener also appreciated a comment made by Andrew Flintoff at that time.
“In my opinion, Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft took the fall not just for Australian cricket, but for cricketers all around the world. The ball hasn’t reverse swung anywhere in the world since that day. When everyone was pouring judgment on Australia-the Prime Minister banging his chest, the smug documentaries, and the disgusting behavior toward Steve and David in England-it made me sick. But Freddie Flintoff summed it up best in three words: those in glass houses,” said Langr in an interaction on the ‘The Middle With Watto’ show on Amazon Prime.
Sandpaper Debate Returns
For those unversed, that match in question proved to be one of cricket’s biggest controversies as the host broadcasters caught Bancroft shining the ball with sandpaper. After an investigation, Australia pulled out all three players from the squad and asked them to return home, with Tim Paine taking charge of the side for the fourth Test.
Bancroft was handed a ban of nine months by Cricket Australia (CA), while Smith and Warner, who are the captain and vice-captain, were banned for a year from playing international cricket. The latter was also handed a lifetime leadership ban.
Darren Lehmann was the head coach of the Australian side at the time and was sacked after the series ended. Langer was appointed as his successor and was in charge till February 2022.