'I've Never Seen Any Ball Tampering': Brook Distances Himself From Sandpapergate Controversy

Cape Town Test:  England captain Harry Brook has distanced himself from the renewed Sandpapergate controversy, insisting he has never witnessed ball tampering during his international career and choosing not to get drawn into the debate surrounding Australia's infamous 2018 scandal.

Brook's remarks came ahead of the first ODI against Australia at Perth Stadium on Friday, with Usman Khawaja's recently released autobiography reigniting discussions about the ball-tampering incident during the Cape Town Test against South Africa in March 2018.

Asked about the controversy, Brook said he had no first-hand knowledge of the incident, as he was still a teenager when the scandal rocked Australian cricket.

"I've never seen any ball tampering before. I wasn't in that (Australia) dressing room. I think I was about 17 or 18 years old, so I was completely oblivious to any of that stuff," Brook said during the pre-match press conference, as quoted by The Independent.

The England skipper made it clear that his immediate priority was preparing his team for the white-ball assignment against Australia rather than engaging in discussions about events from eight years ago.

"We're here in Australia, we're looking forward to this series, and all we can do is concentrate on ourselves and getting ourselves as ready as possible. We're just trying to concentrate on ourselves at the minute. That's all we can do. We're here to play against a strong Australian side in their backyard," he added.

Khawaja's autobiography has brought the controversy back into focus, with the former Australian opener claiming that the entire team was aware of the use of sandpaper during the Cape Town Test. He also alleged that Australia had used the object on the ball during the preceding Test in Port Elizabeth, now known as Gqeberha.

His revelations were subsequently backed by former Australian opener David Warner, who was handed a one-year ban and a lifetime ban from leadership following the scandal. The leadership restriction was overturned in 2024.

Meanwhile, Brook expressed excitement about beginning the series in Perth, recalling the atmosphere at the venue during the previous Ashes contest.

"Australia against England is always a good series, and we're looking forward to kickstarting it. We're very happy to be out here. We're all really raring to go here at Optus Stadium, which is where the last Ashes started. It's an amazing place to play cricket. The atmosphere when we played here was unbelievable," he said.

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Article Source: IANS