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“Why lob a grenade into Australian cricket, question the established account of one of the country’s greatest sporting scandals, and then refuse to explain who knew what?”

“Here are some of the allegations worth knowing from Sabr, particularly from chapter 17, titled “Sandpaper”, which revisits the infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal.”

“NSW captain Nic Maddinson has described Usman Khawaja’s revelations about the 2018 Sandpapergate scandal as “disappointing”, and questioned the timing of the retired Test batsman’s claims on the eve of Australia’s summer of cricket.”

“Asked whether Cricket Australia should re-open its investigation into the events of eight years ago, which it has refused to do, he replied: “I don’t want to express a view on what Cricket Australia should or should not do, eight years on and from the other…”

“Simon Longstaff, who led a review into the culture of Cricket Australia in 2018, said he had heard whispers that the public record of the cheating scandal was inaccurate and a cover-up was possible.”

“Whatever can be made of his timing, one of his greatest assets with the willow in hand, this is hardly a self-serving cash grab for a professional cricketer of almost two decades.”

“There is a passage in Usman Khawaja’s memoir in which he details how Steve Smith talked him out of his plan to tell all to Cricket Australia officials after he had bailed up the sacked Test captain on the way back to his hotel room in Johannesburg in 2018.”

“Fourteen years ago, when Krien was writing her book – based on the 2012 rape trial of a footballer (who was acquitted) – the first statements made following any “sex scandal” would have smeared the invisible party, but that didn’t happen this time.”

“Sandpaper revisited: Read our coverage - The inside story: ‘Just be careful, they’re on you: ’ Behind cricket’s greatest scandal - Video: A knock on the door: How the Sandpaper scandal kicked off - A reporter’s tale: The Sandpaper series was radioactive from…”

“'Australia were no longer the favourite villains in world cricket' As he nears the end of his tenure as Cricket Australia chair, Mike Baird believes there was a signal moment when he knew that the shadow of sandpapergate had receded.”