Marsh dodges Sandpapergate questions as Australia readies for England white-ball cricket series

PERTH, Australia (AP) — The usually free-hitting Mitch Marsh played defense to a few questions about the Sandpapergate scandal on the eve of a white-ball cricket series against England, saying his focus was on leading Australia's limited-overs squad starting Friday rather than events in Cape Town eight years ago.

Marsh faced the media Thursday in Perth, five days after his former teammate Usman Khawaja reignited the ball-tampering scandal with his claim in an autobiography that the entire Australia squad knew of the plan to use sandpaper to scuff the ball against South Africa in 2018.

Three players received lengthy bans at the time after the episode that shook the foundations of the game in Australia. In the eight intervening years, Cricket Australia, team management and other players have rarely commented on the saga. The bowling group has rejected claims that everyone was in on the plot to use sandpaper to help make the ball swing unconventionally through the air.

“You hit a six off the first ball there, Mate, well done!” Marsh said in response to the opening question — about Sandpapergate — of his scheduled captain's news conference on Thursday. “Look, obviously there’s been a bit of noise around this week and I respect that certain people have told their stories.

“I’m not here to share mine today, I know that might sound weird, but it’s a big week for us and it’s an important time for this one-day (squad) and my sole focus has been on preparing for tomorrow.”

The old cheating scandal has dominated cricket coverage this week and set to continue to overshadow the start of the Australian summer.

Hours before Australia and England start a series of three ODIs and five T20s on Friday in Perth, Australia test captain Pat Cummins planned to hold a news conference in Sydney — the other side of the country — to address the scandal after taking time to “better understand” Khawaja's claims.

“Happy to speak with any and all media about the events of this week,” Cummins posted on X. “I’ve taken some time to try and better understand the long list and full extent of Uzzy’s allegations so I can respond properly.”

Steve Smith and David Warner — the captain and vice-captain in that series eight years ago — were each banned for 12 months by Cricket Australia following an investigation into the cheating plot. Cameron Bancroft, who was caught using sandpaper on the ball during the test match, was banned for nine months.

Smith and Warner returned in 2019 to the Australian lineup. Smith is still playing test cricket for his country and preparing for a four-match series against New Zealand starting next month.

Australia's squad for the white-ball series is missing front-line pace bowlers Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland, who are being rested ahead of upcoming test series against New Zealand and India. Instead Xaiver Bartlett, left-armer Spencer Johnson and 21-year-old Mahli Beardman will be in the bowling attack.

Marsh will have more experience to work with in batting lineup containing Travis Head, Matt Renshaw, Cameron Green, Alex Carey and Josh Inglis.

Ahead of his 200th ODI, Joe Root declined to comment on the Sandpapergate scandal engulfing the Australia squad again. He's more focused on helping skipper Harry Brook cover the late, injury-enforced absences of Jacob Bethell and fast bowler Josh Tongue.

Bethell is due to leave Perth on Saturday and get assessed in Britain, with the aim of making his return in time for the test series in South Africa starting next month. He hasn't played since injuring his knee in an ODI against India on July 19. Tongue injured his toe and returned to England.

England's squad arrived in Australia on the back of a tri-series in Pakistan, where it lost three games before Ben Duckett and Liam Dawson inspired a 55-run consolation win over Sri Lanka.

It was England’s first ODI win in Pakistan since 2005 and followed some tough defeats. Brook’s fastest-ever ODI double-century wasn’t enough to stop Sri Lanka from achieving the second-highest successful run chase — 430 runs — in the 50-over format.

Pakistan also had a one-wicket win at Lahore and a 87-run win over England at Rawalpindi.

See AP’s full cricket coverage here

England's players celebrate after win over Sri Lanka during the tri-series one-day international cricket match between Sri Lanka and England, in Lahore, Pakistan, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

FILE - Delhi Capitals' David Warner waves to his fans during the awards ceremony at the end of the Indian Premier League cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings in Visakhapatnam, India, March. 31, 2024.(AP Photo/ Surjeet Yadav File)

FILE - Australia's Usman Khawaja leaves the ground after losing his wicket during day two of the first test cricket match between Sri Lanka and Australia in Galle, Sri Lanka, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena File)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A 17-year-old boy with autism was found alive Thursday after six days lost in eastern Australian woodlands.

The boy, whom police identified only as William, had begun camping with a teenage friend when he disappeared last Friday near Walhalla, a former gold-mining town 185 kilometers (115 miles) east of Melbourne, police said.

A police helicopter crew found him surrounded by wilderness lying asleep on a flat rock beside a creek, and he was later reunited with his mother. William was in good spirits and mostly in good health, the police statement said.

Video shot from the rescue helicopter showed he was shirtless and sunburned. He was wearing shorts and boots and was using towels as blankets.

“I’m just over the moon that he’s alive,” his mother, Elizabeth, told reporters. The AP has decided not to provide her family name to avoid identifying her son.

“And he’s never leaving the house again. He’s grounded for life. He’s not going anywhere ever again,” she joked.

William was later taken to a hospital for his health to be monitored, police said.

William's family have said he has Level 2 autism. That requires “substantial support,” according to the Australian advocacy group Autism360.

Such a person may have marked deficits in verbal and non-verbal social communication and rely heavily on routines and predictable activities. Disruption can cause significant distress.

The Southern Hemisphere spring weather had been mild for the past week in the alpine region where William was lost and there had been little rain.

Elizabeth had dropped off her son and his friend last Friday for a weekend of camping. William walked a short distance from the campsite to the drop-off location to collect more camping equipment but never returned to his friend, police said.

After becoming lost, William trekked for days up and down “some very steep terrain,” Acting Police Inspector Jason Benbow said.

He spent the last two days where he was found at the creek, trapped by the steepness of his surrounds 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the his camp site, Benbow said.

“He woke up to the sound of the helicopter, gave them a thumbs up and they winched him to safety,” Benbow told reporters.

The extensive police search for him involved more than 100 emergency services personnel and volunteers.

In this image made from video and provided by the Victoria State Police 17-year-old William, center right, is embraced by his mother Elizabeth, only first names were provided by police, while in a helicopter in Cowwarr, Australia, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, after William spent six days lost in eastern Australian woodlands. (Victoria Police via AP)