New Zealand v Australia test: Josh Hazelwood signs sandpaper, wins over Kiwi fans

Visiting New Zealand for a test series for the first time since 2016, it can’t have surprised the Australian cricket team to see a few of the local fans have a dig about Sandpapergate.

The local fans, however, might have been surprised by Australian quick Josh Hazelwood’s willingness to sign a sheet of sandpaper while fielding out on the boundary.

It’s been something that has followed the Australians around over the past few years after they were caught using sandpaper to tamper with the ball during a 2018 test against South Africa. It resulted in the suspension of three players, with Steve Smith and David Warner being barred from international and domestic cricket for 12 months, and Cameron Bancroft banned for nine months. Since 2018, the Australians have only toured New Zealand once for a five-match T20 series in 2021, which was played in empty stadiums during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hazelwood was a good sport about being presented with a piece of sandpaper during the second test on Saturday and signed it for the Hagley Oval fan to a round of cheers.

Hazelwood has been met with signing items related to the scandal before. In 2021, English fans presented him with a photo of himself which read “I Joshua ‘Joshie’ Hazlewood do solemnly swear that I knew it was sandpaper” to sign.

The sandpaper wasn’t the most unusual item he has signed during this test. Today, crowd footage emerged of him being asked to sign, and signing, a pair of comedy boobs.

Both on the boundary and in the middle, Hazelwood has been in the thick of things during this test.

In the first innings, he played a major role in dismissing the Black Caps for 162 as he finished with 5-31 and also took a catch.

The second innings hasn’t been quite so fruitful for him, though he struck just after the lunch break today to dismiss Daryl Mitchell for 58.