SYDNEY (The Thursday Times) — Usman Khawaja ne ye batane se inkar kar diya hai ke Australia ke un ke sabiq saathiyon mein se kaun kaun 2018 ki ball tampering sazish se waqif tha. Ye inkar us ke ek din baad samne aaya jab Cricket Australia ne is scandal ki tehqiqat dobara kholne ka imkan musterd kar diya, jise un ki nayi yaadashton ne phir se zinda kar diya hai.
Pakistan mein paida hone wale sabiq opener, jo January mein Test cricket se retire hue, ne ek television interview mein kaha ke woh infiradi khiladiyon ke khilaf kisi "witch hunt" ki zimmedari nahin lenge. Jab un se poocha gaya ke kya 2021 se Australia ke Test captain Pat Cummins is mansoobe se waqif the, to unhon ne kaha: "Main is ka jawab nahin dunga."
Khawaja ne kaha: "Ye mere liye kabhi witch hunt nahin raha. Sirf woh teen log hain jo arse se ye tanqeed jhel rahe hain." Un ka ishara Steve Smith, David Warner, aur Cameron Bancroft ki taraf tha, jo Cape Town ke Newlands mein Bancroft ke ball par sandpaper istemal karte pakde jane ke baad saza pane wale wahid khiladi the.
Warner un ke saath, Starc aur Cricket Australia nahin
Apni khud-navisht Sabr mein, jo Mangal ko shaya hui, Khawaja likhte hain ke poori team tampering se waqif thi. Un ke mutabiq Port Elizabeth mein pichhle Test ke dauran dressing room mein hi ball par sandpaper istemal ho chuka tha, aur coaching staff ke ek rukn ne Bancroft ko apni karwai tez karne par uksaya tha.
Us waqt ke captain Smith aur vice-captain Warner par ek saal aur Bancroft par nau mahine ki pabandi lagi thi. Cricket Australia ki inquiry ne qarar diya tha ke bowlers is mansoobe se la-ilm the. Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, aur Nathan Lyon, jinhon ne Cape Town mein bowling ki aur aaj bhi Test team ka mustaqil hissa hain, ne 2021 ke ek mushtarka bayan mein kaha tha ke unhein "maloom nahin tha ke koi bairooni cheez maidan mein layi gayi hai".
Warner ne Khawaja ki bharpoor himayat karte hue kaha hai ke un ka bayan "100% durust" hai, aur asal tehqiqat ko "jaldbazi par mabni aur naqis" qarar diya hai. Khawaja ka kehna hai ke inquiry mein un se kabhi gawahi nahin li gayi.
Mangal ko Starc radd-e-amal dene wale pehle bowler bane. Unhon ne kaha: "Hamein ilm nahin tha ke tampering ke liye koi cheez maidan mein layi gayi hai. Hum ne [sandpaper] Cape Town ki badi screen par dekha." Un ka kehna tha ke unhon ne kitab nahin padhi aur padhne ka irada bhi nahin.
Cricket Australia ke chief executive Todd Greenberg ne ek radio interview mein kaha ke case dobara kholne ki koi "thos wajah" nahin, halanke kitab ke kuchh hisse doosron ke bayanat se mutasadim hain. Unhon ne kaha: "Aap aakhirkar usi dorahe par pahunch jate hain jahan ek shakhs ka bayan doosron se takrata hai."
Book tour mein "tabdeeliyan"
Khawaja ke publisher ne un khabron ki tardeed ki ke woh apne promotional tour se dastbardar ho gaye hain. Publisher ke mutabiq tour "100% jari" hai, taham is hafte schedule mein "kuchh tabdeeliyan" ki gayi hain. Khawaja ne ye tasavvur bhi musterd kiya hai ke woh scandal se paisa kama rahe hain, aur kaha ke unhein paison ki zaroorat nahin.
Khawaja keh chuke hain ke woh 2018 ki pabandiyon ke chand din baad hi sab kuchh awam ke samne lana chahte the, lekin Smith ne unhein rok diya kyunke woh khud sara ilzam apne sar lena chahte the. Khawaja ne kaha: "Mujhe umeed hai ke doosre log bhi samne aa kar imandari se baat karenge. Main hamesha yahi chahta tha ke hum ba-taur team zimmedari qabool karein."
Yaadashton mein ye bhi kaha gaya hai ke 2023 ki Ashes ke dauran Jonny Bairstow ke mutanaza stumping ke baad Lord's ke Long Room mein Marylebone Cricket Club ke ek rukn ne Khawaja ko nasli badsulooki ka nishana banaya. Club ne us waqt ek rukn ko nikal diya tha aur do ko muattal kiya tha.
Khawaja Islamabad mein paida hue aur chaar saal ki umar mein Australia muntaqil ho gaye. Unhon ne 88 Test matches mein 6,229 runs banaye. Un ka aakhri Test January mein Sydney Cricket Ground par Ashes match tha, jahan un ke maidan mein utarte waqt England ke khiladiyon ne unhein guard of honour diya.
