Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has claimed that Victorian players were the most adept at ball-tampering during Sheffield Shield matches, describing the practice as "very normal" at the time. Khawaja, who has represented Australia in all three formats, also admitted his own complicity in the practice during his domestic career.
The remarks come from an interview where Khawaja discussed the culture surrounding ball maintenance in Australia's premier first-class competition. The Sheffield Shield, established in 1892, serves as the primary domestic cricket tournament in Australia and has historically been a pathway to national team selection.
Khawaja's comments add to ongoing discussions about ball-tampering in cricket, a topic that gained global attention following the 2018 Cape Town scandal involving the Australian national team. The left-handed batter has played for both New South Wales and Queensland in the Sheffield Shield throughout his domestic career.
