Opener Usman Khawaja believes time has healed the wounds of the ball-tampering saga ahead of Australia’s first Test against South Africa since the scandal that rocked cricket.
The left-hander, who played in the infamous 2018 Cape Town match, said the Australia set-up had changed dramatically in the almost five years since.
Khawaja is confident the three-match series, which begins at the Gabba on Saturday, will be played in better spirit than that spiteful contest in South Africa.
But the 35-year-old declared sandpaper-gate had not been discussed in the Australia camp in the lead-up to the eagerly anticipated showdown.
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“It honestly hasn’t been and I’m being genuine,” Khawaja said on Thursday. “It’s because time heals all wounds. The guys have come so far from there, both as individual players, but also as a team.
“Everyone’s got so many different things going on in their life from where they were four years ago. That actually gave guys a lot of perspective.
(Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)
“Australian cricket, both as a whole and as individual as players, we were probably at rock bottom right there.”
Khawaja remained in the Test team during Steve Smith and David Warner’s 12-month bans from cricket but was dropped during the 2019 Ashes.
The Queensland captain spent more than two years on the outer before his recall to the team for January’s SCG Test against England.
Khawaja has once again solidified his spot with a career-best 2022, scoring 1066 runs at 82, including four centuries.
“It gives you a lot of time to reflect and look back on things,” he said. “The guys have genuinely learned a lot from that (Cape Town) incident. There’s been a lot of growing up and there’s been a lot of maturity.
“I probably got to see it better than most because I was in the team, then I went away and then I came back in, so it’s been a nice change.
“Being part of that tour, I personally know we’re a very different Australian cricket team from what we were back then.”
Australian teammate Mitchell Starc echoed Khawaja’s sentiments.
“I think both teams have probably evolved since (2018),” the fast bowler said.
“It’s been an evolution of our group across the formats.
“We’re very happy, chilled, relaxed, (in an) enjoyable environment and hopefully it’s going to show in our cricket and result in a positive performance in these three Tests.”
(Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
South Africa’s fearsome pace battery will be a rapid step up for Australia’s batters who dined out on West Indies during the recent thrashings in Perth and Adelaide.
Kagiso Rabada, who dominated Australia in 2018 with 23 wickets, will lead the attack with Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje and Marco Jansen also in South Africa’s fast-bowling arsenal.
Khawaja is ready for the challenge on the traditionally fast and bouncy Gabba pitch.
“You never take Test cricket for granted, whether you are playing West Indies, Zimbabwe, South Africa, England – you have to respect whoever you are playing,” he said.
“I respect any opposition, especially when you have to face the new ball, it doesn’t take much.
“You are always wary of (Rabada).
“I’ve scored runs against him but no easy Test runs, they are never easy against KG (Rabada).”
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