Eight years on from the infamous Sandpapergate scandal in Cape Town, former Australia coach Darren Lehmann says the fallout still follows him—and especially Steve Smith—every day, particularly in England. With another Ashes series underway, Lehmann has publicly criticized English fans for what he calls relentless, alcohol-fueled abuse aimed at Australian players who have long served their time.
Lehmann says ‘daily abuse’ continues, especially in England
While England had no part in the original 2018 ball-tampering incident against South Africa, Lehmann revealed he continues to face taunts whenever he’s at a match—particularly from some English supporters.
“You copy it every day,” Lehmann revealed on ABC Sport—despite the fact England wasn’t even involved in the match.
That animosity has only intensified during the Ashes, with Smith once again in the spotlight. Lehmann described the environment during Australia’s first Test win in Perth as particularly hostile.
“Yesterday (at Perth Stadium) I would have copped it maybe twenty or thirty times, obviously we made a mistake but we paid the price—it borders on abuse.”
“It’s not great for your mental health to be perfectly honest,” Lehmann admitted.
Steve Smith still targeted, despite redemption arc
Of all the players involved in the scandal—Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft—Smith arguably remains the most prominent. He returned to leadership roles and most recently captained Australia to an emphatic win in the Ashes opener, yet continues to be hounded by a vocal minority of England fans.
“It’s eight years ago and you try and move on as best you can, but he (Steve Smith) is still playing every day, so it would be a lot worse for him, the abuse he gets,” Lehmann said.
“In England they just don’t forget, it’s like they’ve never done anything wrong in their life.”
“The Barmy Army should be better than that, and most of them are—it’s only the ones who drink too much and carry on like pork chops.”
Lehmann believes the constant references to Sandpapergate are more than just gamesmanship and could take a toll on players’ mental well-being. Despite this, he commended the trio at the center of the scandal for how they’ve rebuilt their careers.
“But the way Smith, Warner and Bancroft have come out the other side, that’s been exceptional, I’m really proud of the way they’ve handled it.”
Ashes 2025 off to fiery start
The controversy comes after Smith’s tactical decision to promote Travis Head in the batting order paid immediate dividends in the first Test. Head smashed a blistering 123 off 83 balls, helping Australia to a dominant two-day victory in Perth. England, despite being in a commanding position with a 105-run lead and nine wickets in hand, crumbled in spectacular fashion.
The loss drew harsh criticism back home, with former England opener Geoffrey Boycott writing in The Telegraph, “I cannot take this stupid England team seriously anymore.”
As the Ashes series heats up, the old wounds of Sandpapergate appear far from healed—at least in the eyes of some fans. But for Lehmann, it’s time for the English crowd to move on.
