I Feel Slightly Conflicted: Healy On Khawaja's Explosive Sandpaper Claims

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Nov 10 (IANS) Reflecting on her husband Mitchell Starc being dragged back into the sandpaper saga, former Australia women's cricket captain Alyssa Healy stated that she is feeling "slightly conflicted" and it is hard to make a comment on it.

In his new book Sabr, which detailed the events of 2018 Sandpapergate, former batter Usman Khawaja claimed that the entire Australian Test team was aware of the use of sandpaper during the 2018 Cape Town Test in South Africa.

As revealed in Khawaja's autobiography, the third Test against South Africa in 2018 wasn't the only match in which the Aussies tampered with the ball, also admitting to the use of sandpaper in the second Test.

Mitchell Starc, however, rejected Khawaja's explosive claims and stated that he stood by the joint statement released in 2021 with fellow bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon denying that the bowlers knew anything about Sandpapergate being taken on the field and the ball being tampered with during the Cape Town Test.

Speaking to media at Kayo Sports and Fox Cricket's launch event, Healy said,“It's a hard one to comment on. At the moment, I feel slightly conflicted, and I'm in the middle of it. It's hard to make a comment on it, we'll see where it goes and if CA do take it forward or how it rolls throughout the media, and I'll make a comment from there. For now, I'm just gonna sit and wait and watch it unfold.”

However, Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said there is“absolutely no benefit” in revisiting the investigation more than eight years after the infamous incident.

"I watched it eight years ago too. I think the game of cricket as a whole has moved on. (Cricket Australia CEO) Todd Greenberg's statement today about not looking into it any further is a great sign of where we're headed and that's moving forward and looking ahead to this summer," Healy said.

"I feel for everyone involved. I know a human element in it as well that people are being dragged back through some things and reliving some memories. I think from a human side thing of things we've got to remember that and put our arms around the people that are being mentioned," she added.

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