'He Got Away Lightly': Former England Cricketer Blasts Darren Lehmann Over 'Sandpapergate' Scandal

The storm around 'Sandpapergate' is not stopping anytime soon, as former England cricketer and match referee Chris Broad has added a fresh comment to the controversy.

Chris Broad, father of former England fast bowler Stuart Broad, has taken a fresh swipe at Darren Lehmann, who served as Australia's head coach during the infamous scandal.

Broad believe that Lehmann should have been held accountable over the 2018 ball-tampering scandal. His comments followed Australia batter Usman Khawaja's claims in his upcoming autobiography Sabr, where he said the entire Australian squad and support staff knew about the episode.

Broad asked how Lehmann, who coached Australia on that tour, could have been unaware. "Darren Lehmann surely knew all about it," Broad said on Track Radio, as quoted by Fox Sports.

"And if he did not, he should not have been the coach at the time. I think he has got away lightly … OK, he left his job a few months later, but he did not get any sanctions."

Backing Broad's claim, former Australia batter David Warner Tweeted, "I could not agree more, and that's hard for me to say!"

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Lehmann Under Fire

Broad then referenced Lehmann's criticism of his son Stuart Broad during the 2013 Ashes series, after the England pacer decided not to walk following an edge to the slips.

Lehmann had later said Australia would make Stuart Broad "cry" when England toured Australia. Broad used that old exchange to intensify his criticism of the former coach.

"And here he is, the coach of the Australian cricket team that brought sandpaper out onto the field of play and denied any knowledge of this happening. I am very angry at Darren Lehmann in this respect," Broad said.

Khawaja’s New Claims

Khawaja's autobiography is titled Sabr. In the book, he said the whole Australian side, players and support staff included, knew about the ball-tampering incident.

The scandal erupted in the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town in 2018, after Cameron Bancroft was caught trying to change the ball's condition with sandpaper.

Then captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were handed one-year bans from competitive cricket, while Bancroft was suspended for nine months from international and domestic cricket.

Khawaja said responsibility should have been shared, and that Smith, Warner and Bancroft should not have carried the blame alone. He also challenged Cricket Australia's inquiry, saying several squad members were not interviewed despite allegedly knowing about the episode.

Earlier Sandpaper Claims

Khawaja also alleged Australia had used sandpaper in the second Test in Gqeberha before the Cape Town incident came to light.

He also wrote about the 2017-18 home Ashes, saying players had lifted the quarter-seam to aid reverse swing.

Australia won the third Test at Perth by an innings. That result helped them regain the Ashes.

Former Australia opener David Warner also backed Khawaja's account of the 2018 tour.