Former Australia Test bowler Chadd Sayers has backed Usman Khawaja's claim that the entire team knew about ball-tampering during the 2018 tour of South Africa, contradicting captain Pat Cummins' denials.
Sayers, who played the fourth Test at Johannesburg but not the third Test at Cape Town where sandpaper was used, told SEN radio on Sunday that sandpaper was used in two matches and players discussed methods in the dressing room.
"I believe that everyone in that side knew what was going on and what was being used," Sayers said.
The 2018 Cricket Australia investigation concluded only captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were aware, leading to bans for all three.
Khawaja alleged in his autobiography last week that the whole squad was aware, a claim Warner has strongly supported.
Sayers revealed he was the player who removed sandpaper from the field during the second Test at Port Elizabeth.
"It was given to me to take off, so that wasn't planned or anything. I was just the player who took the drinks out at the time," he said.
"It was used in two Test matches and there were discussions in the change rooms of how we were going to get the ball to reverse and what was going to be used," Sayers added.
Cummins, now Test captain, held a press conference on Friday and called Khawaja's allegations "100 per cent wrong".
The bowling group of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Cummins issued a joint statement in 2021 denying any awareness of the plan.
Cricket Australia has ruled out reopening its investigation into the affair.
Warner on Saturday accused the governing body of a cover-up, saying that as far as he knew, Hazlewood, Starc and Lyon were not interviewed in 2018.
"If that's correct then how can CA push the idea that the bowlers didn't know?" Warner said.
After media reports confirmed the bowlers had been interviewed, Warner clarified on Instagram on Sunday that he was never informed of those interviews at the time.
"Why weren't we given all the evidence by CA?" Warner wrote.
The latest revelations deepen the controversy surrounding one of cricket's biggest scandals, with former players now publicly challenging the official findings.
Australia's next Test assignment is against England in the Ashes series starting in June 2027.
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