A fresh revelation has emerged in the 2018 Sandpapergate controversy, with former Australia bowling coach David Saker being accused of telling Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft not to mention sandpaper during a press conference in South Africa.
Eight years after the ball-tampering scandal rocked Australian cricket, former Australia batter Usman Khawaja has reignited the debate through his memoir, Sabr. Khawaja claimed that the entire Australian team knew about the attempts to alter the condition of the ball and argued that Bancroft, Smith and David Warner should not have been the only players punished.
Now, a report by the Sydney Morning Herald has identified Saker as the coach Khawaja repeatedly referred to without naming in his memoir.
The newspaper reported that Saker "urged Smith and Bancroft not to reveal the nature of the yellow object that had been taken onto the field at Newlands at their media conference after play on the day the scandal broke."
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According to the report, Saker allegedly told Bancroft and Smith, "you can't say sandpaper," several times before the infamous press conference on the day the scandal came to light.
The report further claimed: "Bancroft and Smith were advised by others not to lie, but Bancroft told reporters soon after that it had been tape, not sandpaper, in his possession and that he had been utilising it to lift granules from the pitch to rub on one side of the ball. It wasn't until Cricket Australia announced sanctions against Smith, Bancroft and David Warner that it was publicly admitted he had actually had sandpaper in his hand."
Khawaja also described another conversation involving the unnamed coach during the lunch break before Bancroft was caught on camera. According to the memoir, the coach approached Bancroft and told him that the team needed more of whatever he was doing to the ball because the conditions were wet.
"With a smile on his face, he said, 'Bangers, whatever you're doing, we need more of it. It's wet out there. We just need more of it.' Then I saw Bangers pick up a piece of sandpaper and put it in his pocket. The coach gave both me and Cameron a wry smile of satisfaction and walked away," Khawaja wrote.
The book also refers to a team meeting before the South Africa series, during which a coach allegedly told the bowlers to do whatever was necessary to make the ball move in the air and generate reverse swing.
However, Khawaja has not named Saker in Sabr. The identification has come from the Sydney Morning Herald report, which cited tour sources. The report also noted that Saker was known to use the term "shifting" when referring to swing bowling.
Saker had been part of Australia's coaching staff during the 2018 South Africa tour. He resigned from his role in February 2019. According to the report, he had reportedly signed a non-disclosure agreement with Cricket Australia after leaving the organisation.
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"Guys, I don't care what happens, but Test cricketers are too good against the straight ball," the unnamed coach said, according to Khawaja.
"We need to get the ball shifting when it gets old. I don't care what you have to do, or how, but we need to get it moving in the air. That's the only chance we have," he added.
Saker also played a role in England's Ashes triumph in Australia in 2010-11 and later served as England's bowling coach during the 2013, 2023 and 2025-26 Ashes series.
Meanwhile, Pat Cummins, who has faced criticism for not responding publicly to Khawaja's claims, had announced that he would address the media in Sydney on Friday.
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