Sayers says all: What really happened in South Africa, 2018

Former Australian Test cricketer and 12th man at the 2018 South Africa series Chadd Sayers has come forward with his recollection of the involvement of sandpaper during Tests in Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

Revealing all from within the changerooms across both Tests, Sayers revealed his belief that every member of the Test squad was aware of what was occurring, unveiling his involvement and the investigation that followed.

Listen to the full interview with SEN Cricket below:

See the full transcription of his interview with Gerard Whateley below.

“I think I've probably been portrayed in the media as taking Usman (Khawaja)'s side because I've spoken out and acknowledged that that was probably the truth,” Sayers told SEN.

“But I'm neutral in all this. I'm just trying to tell my side of the story and what I believe happened. There are no sides, they've both been great to me throughout my time in the Test squad so I'm not taking sides, I'm neutral in all this.

“I'm comfortable sitting here right now and where I stand on the situation that I believe that everyone in that side knew what was going on and what was being used.”

When did you first become aware that sandpaper was being used on that series?

“In Port Elizabeth, so as it's known now, it was used in two test matches and there was discussions in change rooms of how we were going to get the ball to reverse and what was going to be used.”

How broad were those conversations?

“I mean it is eight years ago, so my recollection isn't as clear as it was obviously eight years ago. I just know that there was numerous conversations of it around in the change rooms.”

Do you recall whose idea it was initially?

“No, I don't recollect that, but obviously David Warner was not going to do it. Cam Bancroft stepped in and said he would.”

Do you recall that yourself?

“100 per cent.”

What was Warner's rationale for not doing it?

“I think we all know David Warner was seen as being the bad boy of the Australian cricket side at that stage and cameras were always going to be on him so he was not going to take part of it.”

What was your part in it Chadd?

“I just knew that it was going to be used as I believe everyone else did.

“The plan was that Cameron Bancroft was going to take that out, the ball was going to be dropped on the on the ground by the umpires and he was going to go about business.

You had a role to perform after that?

“Yeah, (the sandpaper) 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.

“I recall it was a wicket or a drinks break after tea.”

There's a wicket in the first over and the second over after tea on day two, and at that stage you came onto the field?

“Onto the field with drinks, and yeah, it was passed onto me.”

By?

“I assume Cameron Bancroft, yep.”

What did you do with the sandpaper?

“I actually can't remember to be honest. Obviously took it off and took it out of sight. But after that occasion that was not used again in that Test match.”

The sandpaper wasn't used again in that Test match?

“Not from what I believe.”

Was it used in the first innings in Cape Town?

“I'm not 100% sure. I'm pretty sure we used it in the second innings, I don't believe it was used in the first innings, no.”

It worked in Port Elizabeth. There was four for 28 in a session with a ball that started 67 overs old. Do you recall there being discussions around the success of the strategy?

“No, I don't but I guess obviously, every ground's got different conditions and you probably try and do it the normal way first without going through the ways we shouldn't.

“In Port Elizabeth, we probably couldn't get the ball shifting off the straight and it was going to be hard to take wickets.

“In Cape Town, it generally seams and wickets are probably easy to be taken.”

Do you recall feeling uneasy about it? Do you recall your attitude towards it?

“Probably at the time, no. I was trying to fit into the Australian side, probably similar to Cam Bancroft and we were probably a young demographic then.

“So, probably not, didn't know how big it was going to get and I guess you probably don't think you're going to get caught doing it.

“Just going along with everyone else and trying to win a game of cricket.”

Do you recall a conversation around taking collective responsibility?

“Yes, after the occurrence in Cape Town, we all sat in the change rooms after that day's play and probably for 60 to 90 minutes.

“We talked about what had happened and I guess where to next.”

60 to 90 minutes is a serious conversation. Do you remember the gravity of it?

“I guess it was always going to happen with this seriousness of what the allegations were. So, it was just as I said, it was about what had happened, where we stood with that and how we were going to move forward.

“I guess at that stage we probably didn't know the severity back in Australia as well.”

Usman writes that there were two players who objected to the idea of collective responsibility. Is that your recollection?

“Vaguely. As I said, eight years ago is a long time and there's a lot of things to take in on that day, but I vaguely remember two players, yeah.”

Do you know who those two players were?

“I'm not going to mention names, no.”

Why was that course of action, the collective responsibility, ultimately not taken?

“I think obviously players are probably concerned about their own spot in the Australian cricket side.

“There was a lot, as I said, a young demographic at the time. Probably not the most experienced batting unit going around and probably one that was not cemented either.

“We didn't know the severity or the punishments that were to come.”

Do you feel like the three players who put themselves forward for punishment thought it was going to be along the lines of the ICC which was either a fine or a one-match suspension rather than what ended up happening?

“Yeah, I would think so. Generally, the ICC has its say and that's what stands, but Cricket Australia obviously wanted to make a stand and wanted to stamp that kind of behaviour out, and they did that by those three blokes.”

Were you interviewed as part of the investigation?

“No.”

Did you expect to be?

“Yeah, we were told pretty much not to go too far away from the hotel.

“We had a family period then so my wife was over there and we got told pretty much to stay around because there'll be interviews and an investigation happening.

“Obviously didn't go too far away, and was never interviewed.”

Have you ever formed a theory as to why you weren't interviewed?

“Not really, but maybe because we were 12th man and we didn't play in the game.

“Maybe because we knew too much information. I'm not too sure.”

Subsequently was there ever any conversation with you from Cricket Australia?

“I haven't spoken to Cricket Australia about that issue since leaving South Africa.”

Were you aware that 12 months afterwards Cricket Australia set up a hotline for anonymous information from players or staff members?

“I was not aware unless I missed an email or a text message, which I don't believe I did.

“I was not aware, no.”

How have you felt across eight and a half years when you've been asked about it?

“It's been hard because you obviously got to tip-toe around and not be able to tell the truth.

“As I said, it's probably a relief now that it's out there in the open, and now you can speak openly about it.

“Because we all know it gets brought up a lot of places you go. Sitting out at the pub in the cricket’s on, people will ask, ‘oh, you were there and what happened?’

“You'd always have to tiptoe around unless the people you're talking to you trusted, so it's a bit of a relief that it's out.

“That series was supposed to be a happy one for me because I debuted the test after. I guess when something like that happens, it always gets drawn back to that conversation and not your debut.”

You were the reserve bowler and you knew. Is it credible that the frontline bowlers didn’t know?

“I would have thought as a team, when you're trying to get the ball to reverse that everyone would buy in because if one little thing goes wrong in the field to the ball, it stops it from reversing straight away.

“So yeah, as I said, I'm pretty confident to say that everyone knew.”

How did you go watching the Pat Cummins press conference on Friday?

“To be honest, I didn't watch much of it. I saw him rock up and start talking and it just felt a bit awkward and yeah, I just didn't want to see that.”

What did you object to?

“I didn't like how he did go at Usman and got personal.

“I probably get why but I just don't think it needed to happen.”

Is there a way forward, do you think, from your perspective?

“I don't think it's ever going to settle unless everyone agrees to what happened.

“So, in that sense probably is not going to settle. I know we've heard David Warner come out and say a few things as well.

“Unless everyone settles on what actually happened, I think everyone's going to be curious for a long time.”

Are you hopeful that there's this middle ground here that what you've just said, what you experienced firsthand, other players are able to say what they experienced firsthand?

“Yeah, and I'm sure as people probably get out of the Cricket Australia system, then people might talk a bit more.

“I'm not sure, but I'm not really involved in Usman's book and in what Pat Cummins was saying, but it's been a draining week for myself, so I can imagine what it's been like for those two blokes and everyone else involved.”

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

“No, hopefully it goes away soon, because I've said what I've got to say.

“I believe the truth is the truth and it will come out but I'll just hope soon it's stopped and we can just focus on the summer ahead.”

When the findings came down from Cricket Australia that Cape Town Day 3 Session 2 was the only time sandpaper had been used and there were only three players who had prior knowledge of it, what did you think?

“Yeah, I was a bit curious on why only those three would know when I obviously knew and I thought other people knew as well.

“You probably think, what have they said behind closed doors?”