Joe Root Shrugs Off Khawaja Claims as 2018 Sandpapergate Reopens Ahead of 3 ODIs

Joe Root stepped cleanly around the reviving flames of Australian cricket's most damaging modern controversy. Speaking ahead of England's upcoming three-match One-Day International series against Australia, the England Test captain flatly refused to wade into fresh allegations surrounding the infamous 2018 Sandpapergate affair in Cape Town. Root made it clear that ancient history across the trench has no bearing on his dressing room today.

"I wasn't in that [Australia] dressing room, I don't know what went on," Root said. "I don't want to speculate. My focus is with this team right now and what we've got coming up."

Pressed on whether he had ever crossed paths with similar illicit ball-working tactics across his international career, Root was equally blunt. "I can only speak from my own experiences and that's not how I feel, no."

Explosive Allegations in 'Sabr' Shake Australian Cricket

The old scars ripped open following disclosures published in former Australian batter Usman Khawaja's new autobiography, titled Sabr. Khawaja directly challenged the longstanding narrative that ball tampering was an isolated conspiracy conceived and executed solely by Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft. Instead, Khawaja claimed the wider dressing room—including support staff—harboured full operational knowledge of illicit ball tampering.

Yet the most inflammatory allegation pushed beyond Cape Town. Khawaja alleged that Australia had actively lifted the quarter seam of the cricket ball during the 2017-18 Ashes series to generate reverse swing against England. Khawaja argued that the isolated trio should never have carried unilateral blame, demanding collective responsibility from everyone inside the team environment at the time.

The 2018 Newlands Test remains a watershed moment in world cricket. Cricket Australia struck down Smith and Warner with unprecedented one-year bans, while Bancroft took a nine-month suspension after cameras caught him using yellow sandpaper on the ball during the third Test against South Africa.

Peter Handscomb Dodges Fresh Spotlight

Australian middle-order batter Peter Handscomb, who played in that volatile Cape Town Test in March 2018, took an identical evasive line when confronted with Khawaja's disclosures. Handscomb refused to reopen old wounds or comment on the shifting accountability debate.

Handscomb maintained that professional cricketers must compartmentalize external noise and keep moving forward, even when past controversies explode across the headlines.

For Root and England, the focus stays strictly between the boundary ropes as both heavyweights finalize preparation for the opening fixture of their three-match ODI showdown.