Root doesn't feel ball-tampering was rife in cricket at time of 'Sandpapergate'

Joe Root on Usman Khawaja's 'Sandpapergate' claims: "We obviously have no idea (about it). It's all speculation. I wasn't in that dressing room. I don't know what went on. I don't want to speculate"; Root in England squad to face Australia in three ODIs, starting in Perth on Friday

England's Joe Root says he does not believe ball-tampering was rampant across the international game at the time of Australia's 'Sandpapergate' scandal as he chose not to pile in on his Ashes rivals following Usman Khawaja's explosive claims.

Former Baggy Greens batter Khawaja alleged in his just-released autobiography, 'Sabr', that every member of the team knew about the plot to alter the condition of the ball in South Africa in 2018.

Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera applying sandpaper to the ball during a game in Cape Town and subsequently banned for nine months, with then-captain Steve Smith and David Warner , who was seen as the architect of the plot, handed year-long suspensions.

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Root, currently in Australia ahead of a three-match ODI series that begins in Perth on Friday, replied "I can only speak from my own experiences, that's not how I feel," when asked if he thought ball-tampering was rife in the sport eight years ago.

The England Test captain added of Khawaja's claims, which include suggesting sandpaper was also used the Test before the Cape Town fixture in 2018, in Gqeberha: "We obviously have no idea (about it).

"It's all speculation. I wasn't in that dressing room. I don't know what went on. I don't want to speculate, as I said. My focus is with this team right now and what we've got coming up."

Khawaja is understood to have cancelled further promotional interviews for his book after an awkward exchange on Australian broadcaster ABC's 7.30 programme.

Australia's white-ball captain for the England series, Mitchell Marsh, played in the infamous Cape Town Test eight years ago and will surely be grilled on Khawaja's claims when he holds a press conference on Thursday.

Bowlers Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, who issued a joint statement in 2021 denying any prior knowledge of the use of sandpaper, are not involved in the ODIs or T20s versus England.

Starc spoke to the media on Tuesday, once again stressing he was not aware of the ball-tampering scandal ahead of time.

Cummins said in South Africa ‌last month, where Australia lost 2-1 in their first Test series in the country since the 'Sandpapergate' affair, that he had spoken to Khawaja about his book and was not concerned about any potential fallout.

"He just basically gave me the heads-up that he's doing a book, and yeah, as always, no worries. Tell your story. It's fine," Cummins told reporters.

Despite Khawaja's claims, Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg, who was not involved with the organisation at the time of the ball-tampering scandal, said there was "no compelling reason" to re-open an investigation.