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“The Boys Cheated…”: Ex-Australia Coach Justin Langer Reopens Wounds Of Sandpaper Gate

Aakash Saini

Justin Langer revisits 2018 scandal [Source: @cricketcomau/x, AP]Justin Langer revisits 2018 scandal [Source: @cricketcomau/x, AP]

Back in March 2018 in South Africa, Australian cricket endured one of its darkest phases in history in the form of the infamous ball-tampering scandal. The fallout of the scandal resulted in a 12-month ban for co-conspirators David Warner and Steve Smith, and a nine-month ban for then rookie Cameron Bancroft.

The aftermath of the incident also plunged Australian leadership into crisis mode, with Cricket Australia witnessing a dramatic overhaul and even head coach Darren Lehmann tendering his resignation.

Justin Langer Revisits Australia’s Darkest Hour

Former Australian opener Justin Langer, who took over as national coach following the resignation of Darren Lehmann, recently shed light on the aftermath of the ‘2018 ball tampering scandal’. While speaking with Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler on the “For The Love Of Cricket” podcast, Langer said:

“In Australia, one thing you don’t do is cheat. You play hard, you go hard, and you compete — but you don’t cheat. And the boys cheated. The whole of Australia really turned against them, and the ramifications were huge. We lost the chairman, the CEO, the high-performance manager, the head coach Darren Lehmann stepped down, and the captain and vice-captain were gone. So, in one hit, all of our leadership disappeared.”

Justin Langer also recalled the impact of the resultant leadership overhaul had on Australian cricket at the time, and claimed that the ‘sandpaper’ cheating incident made the entire nation hate the cricket team. He added:

“In cultures, and in life generally, I believe leadership is the number one aspect of performance. And when that left, the focus shifted to what culture really means — behaviours, expectations, and how we had to turn all of that around. After Sandpaper gate, the whole of Australia hated the cricket team.”

Cricket Australia swiftly turned to Justin Langer and newly-appointed captain Tim Paine, entrusting them with the daunting responsibility of rebuilding a shattered side from the ground up, with just a year remaining for the 2019 World Cup and the high-stakes Ashes that followed.

Under Langer’s guidance, Australia reached the semifinal of the 2019 World Cup and managed to level the away Ashes series in England. Moreover, he was also in charge of the Australian coaching setup when they won the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE.