Former England wicketkeeper Matt Prior has expressed skepticism regarding claims that Australian bowlers were unaware of ball-tampering tactics during the "Sandpapergate" scandal. Prior, who was part of England's 2010-11 Ashes-winning team in Australia, stated in an interview that he finds it "impossible to comprehend" how so few members of the Australian touring party in South Africa eight years ago would not have known about the manipulation of the match ball.
Prior's comments address recent accounts, including those from Usman Khawaja, suggesting that ball-doctoring occurred from the 2017-18 Ashes series up to the infamous incident at Newlands. He maintains that in any international team he played in, significant alterations to the ball would have required consultation with the bowlers.
"I never played in a dressing room that used sandpaper on a cricket ball. Or a bottle top, or anything else, externally," Prior said. "Now, what I will say, because we can't all suddenly come across holier than thou, is that in international cricket, you have to find a way to get the ball going sideways."
He elaborated on the tactical importance of ball condition in Test cricket, explaining that if the ball is not moving, batsmen can dominate. Therefore, teams often assess conditions to find ways to achieve swing, particularly reverse swing, which requires meticulous attention to the ball's condition. Prior emphasized that the ball is a bowler's primary tool and significant changes to it would necessitate collective decision-making.
"The ball is the bowler's armoury," Prior stated. "If a bowler went up to a batsman's bat, for instance, and started sanding it, or changing a grip, or taking tape off it, or anything else …. if you went anywhere near Jonathan Trott's bat, he would have gone absolutely ballistic."
He reiterated his stance that in any dressing room he experienced, bowlers, coaches, and wicketkeepers would be involved in discussions about how to manage the ball's condition. He believes that if three players were to tamper with the ball without the bowlers' knowledge, it would have caused significant consternation.
Prior suggested that Cameron Bancroft, who was caught with sandpaper, may have been a junior player following instructions. He expressed sympathy for Bancroft, who he believes has faced disproportionate scrutiny compared to more senior players like Steve Smith and David Warner.
"Cameron Bancroft at that point was a very junior player, and he would have been told, 'this is what we're doing', by someone. And he would have fallen in line, as a junior player, done what he was told," Prior reflected. "And then, when it's all come out, he's been massively thrown under the bus to cop it all, along with Steve Smith and David Warner, but no one else."
Australian cricket continues to grapple with the fallout from these revelations, with the reputations of current and former players and coaches under renewed examination. Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and former coach Darren Lehmann have previously been absolved of blame, though Starc has stated he stands by the bowling group's 2021 statement denying knowledge of the ball tampering at Newlands.