Eight years after the scandalous 'Sandpapergate' incident that shook world cricket in Cape Town, one of the most intense rivalries between the Proteas and Australia has flared up again ahead of the first Test match of the series in Kingsmead.
Broadcaster SuperSport and Australian rights holder Fox Cricket have exchanged sharp messages on social media. Additionally, details have emerged about the upcoming book by Australian batsman Usman Khawaja, which is reported to intend to cover the darkest chapter in modern Australian cricket history.
SuperSport, whose operators originally filmed Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft using sandpaper on the ball in Newlands in 2018, published archival footage on the social network X. The video shows a full broadcast: Bancroft rubbing the ball with sandpaper, an urgent conversation between former coach Darren Lehmann and Peter Handscomb over the radio, as well as the reaction of the legendary late Shane Warne in the commentary box, before Bancroft slipped a yellow band into his trousers.
SuperSport accompanied the publication with a stern warning: 'Our cameras will be vigilant during this three-match Test series.' In turn, Fox Cricket in Australia posted an image of former Proteas captain Faf du Plessis polishing a ball with remnants of mint powder during a Test in Hobart in 2016. This incident resulted in du Plessis being fined 100% of his match fee and receiving three penalty runs for ball tampering.
Fox Cricket stated on Facebook: 'It is easy to forget that South Africa was caught tampering with the ball two years before Sandpapergate.' To heighten the tension, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Australian Test captain Pat Cummins and Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg confirmed that Khawaja had informed them in advance about the content of his book, 'Sabr.'
The book, scheduled for release in early November after the tour of South Africa concludes, dedicates a section to the 2018 scandal. Khawaja, a long-time close friend of David Warner, participated in that fateful 2018 tour and previously believed that the entire playing squad should bear collective responsibility for the incident, rather than singling out three players.
Greenberg confirmed that although Khawaja informed the team management about the book's content before traveling to South Africa, the publication date was deliberately set after the tour to avoid creating an active distraction.