The usually free-hitting Mitch Marsh played defense to a few questions about the Sandpapergate scandal on the eve of a white-ball cricket series against England, saying his focus was on leading Australia’s limited-overs squad starting Friday rather than events in Cape Town eight years ago.
asserted
focus → hit → Town
Marsh faced the media Thursday in Perth, five days after his former teammate Usman Khawaja reignited the ball-tampering scandal with his claim in an autobiography that the entire Australia squad knew of the plan to use sandpaper to scuff the ball against South Africa in 2018.
uncertain
squad → face → 2018
Three players received lengthy bans at the time after the episode that shook the foundations of the game in Australia.
asserted
that → receive → Australia
In the eight intervening years, Cricket Australia, team management and other players have rarely commented on the saga.
asserted
Australia → intervene → saga
The bowling group has rejected claims that everyone was in on the plot to use sandpaper to help make the ball swing unconventionally through the air.
uncertain
ball → reject → air
“You hit a six off the first ball there, Mate, well done!” Marsh said in response to the opening question — about Sandpapergate — of his scheduled captain’s news conference on Thursday.
asserted
Marsh → hit → Thursday
“Look, obviously there’s been a bit of noise around this week and I respect that certain people have told their stories.
asserted
people → look → stories
“I’m not here to share mine today, I know that might sound weird, but it’s a big week for us and it’s an important time for this one-day (squad) and my sole focus has been on preparing for tomorrow.”
uncertain
focus → ’m → tomorrow
The old cheating scandal has dominated cricket coverage this week and set to continue to overshadow the start of the Australian summer.
asserted
scandal → dominate → summer
Hours before Australia and England start a series of three ODIs and five T20s on Friday in Perth, Australia test captain Pat Cummins planned to hold a news conference in Sydney — the other side of the country — to address the scandal after taking time to “better understand” Khawaja’s claims.
uncertain
Cummins → start → claims
“Happy to speak with any and all media about the events of this week,” Cummins posted on X. “I’ve taken some time to try and better understand the long list and full extent of Uzzy’s allegations so I can respond properly.”
asserted
I → speak → allegations
Steve Smith and David Warner — the captain and vice-captain in that series eight years ago — were each banned for 12 months by Cricket Australia following an investigation into the cheating plot.
asserted
Smith → ban → plot
Cameron Bancroft, who was caught using sandpaper on the ball during the test match, was banned for nine months.
asserted
who → catch → months
Smith and Warner returned in 2019 to the Australian lineup.
asserted
Smith → return → lineup
Smith is still playing test cricket for his country and preparing for a four-match series against New Zealand starting next month.
asserted
Smith → play → Zealand
Marsh’s men
Australia’s squad for the white-ball series is missing front-line pace bowlers Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland, who are being rested ahead of upcoming test series against New Zealand and India.
asserted
who → miss → Zealand
Marsh will have more experience to work with in batting lineup containing Travis Head, Matt Renshaw, Cameron Green, Alex Carey and Josh Inglis.
asserted
Marsh → have → Head
Ahead of his 200th ODI, Joe Root declined to comment on the Sandpapergate scandal engulfing the Australia squad again.
asserted
scandal → decline → squad
He’s more focused on helping skipper Harry Brook cover the late, injury-enforced absences of Jacob Bethell and fast bowler Josh Tongue.
asserted
Brook → ’ → Bethell
Bethell is due to leave Perth on Saturday and get assessed in Britain, with the aim of making his return in time for the test series in South Africa starting next month.
asserted
Bethell → leave → Africa
He hasn’t played since injuring his knee in an ODI against India on July 19.
asserted
He → play → July
Tongue injured his toe and returned to England.
asserted
Tongue → injure → England
England’s squad arrived in Australia on the back of a tri-series in Pakistan, where it lost three games before Ben Duckett and Liam Dawson inspired a 55-run consolation win over Sri Lanka.
asserted
Duckett → arrive → Lanka
It was England’s first ODI win in Pakistan since 2005 and followed some tough defeats.
asserted
It → follow → defeats
Brook’s fastest-ever ODI double-century wasn’t enough to stop Sri Lanka from achieving the second-highest successful run chase — 430 runs — in the 50-over format.
asserted
century → stop → format
The Aporia
