There could be no clearer emblem of the civil war that is gripping Australian cricket than the faintly farcical press conference given by white-ball captain Mitch Marsh on the eve of his team’s one-day international series against England.

To be clear, Marsh found himself in an invidious position. Ostensibly, he was there to speak about a series against Australia’s greatest rivals, which begins on Friday in his hometown. But he was in Cape Town eight years ago; indeed he was bowling when the whole plot unravelled on the big screen as Cameron Bancroft was seen shoving sandpaper into his trousers. He knows what happened, and knew he would be asked about it, given the revelations and accusations in Usman Khawaja’s book, Sabr, which came out on Tuesday and has been front-page news all week.

But by saying anything, Marsh would be taking a side, either with the bowlers’ camp, who have until now denied knowledge that sandpaper was taken on to the field, or the Khawaja-Bancroft-David Warner alliance, who say everyone knew and hoped for collective responsibility. As a West Australian, he is close with Bancroft. As a long-time team-mate, he is close with Test captain Pat Cummins.

To make things more complicated, earlier in the day Cummins had invited media to listen to him speak on Friday morning in Sydney by posting an impromptu message on X. “I’ve taken some time to try and better understand the long list and full extent of Uzzy’s [Khawaja’s] allegations so I can respond properly,” Cummins wrote. Marsh could not contradict the position taken by Cummins, the national cricketing figurehead, less than 24 hours before he said his hotly-anticipated piece.

So Marsh resolved to say nothing at all, creating an awkward encounter. The press conference lasted 12 minutes but, for this observer at least, the flight from London to Perth passed by more quickly.

After a short introduction from Australia’s media manager, the first question, from a local news reporter in the middle of the front row, was directed like the sort of short ball Marsh will receive from Jofra Archer on Friday: straight for the jugular. “Did you know sandpaper was being used to tamper with cricket balls in South Africa?”

Marsh flashed a smile, saying: “Jeez, you’ve hit a six off the first ball there, mate. Well done.” That would be the last bit of levity for some time.

He continued: “Look, there has obviously been a lot of noise around this week, and I respect that certain people have told their stories, but I am not here to share mine today. I know that might sound weird, but it’s a big week for us and a big time for this one-day group and my sole focus has been on preparing for tomorrow.”

That answer, unsurprisingly, was not enough to shut down the awkward questions. With the reporter playing the part of a particularly persistent woodpecker, Marsh was asked again and again whether he knew sandpaper was being taken on to the field, whether he or Khawaja were “lying”, whether he was “keeping something from the Australia people”?

In total, he was asked 22 questions on the theme of sandpaper, all of which Marsh tried to dead-bat. He revealed he had spoken on the phone to Khawaja before the book came out, but not read the book itself. “I’m not much of a reader,” he said. Marsh declined to engage with a question on why he did not sign the statement issued by the other bowlers in 2021, saying they did not know sandpaper had been taken on to the field.

There were a couple of moments of relief, when he was asked about cricket, and was delighted to announce that his fellow West Australian Mahli Beardman, a fast bowler, would be making his ODI debut on Friday. But largely, Marsh was under the pump, and looked like he would rather be anywhere else.

Minutes after the press conference concluded, Marsh was on the Optus Stadium outfield sitting at a table with his opposite number Harry Brook, pretending to take high tea in a promotional shoot for the series, only adding to the sense of farce.

When asked about sandpaper, Brook followed Test captain Joe Root’s lead in not twisting the knife. England’s party line is clearly “I wasn’t in that dressing room, I don’t know what went on”. England were here a year ago, under intense media scrutiny of their own, so perhaps are enjoying being able to get on with their work quietly. But they seem to be the only people in Australia without a formal position on the matter.

The atmosphere around sandpaper-gate remains febrile. Much of the cricketing public, eight years on, have not seemed ready to have old wounds reopened by Khawaja, who has faced fierce backlash to his testimony. Media coverage is wall-to-wall, with very little off-limits. For instance, an in-public tiff between Cummins and his wife Becky, who hails from Yorkshire, was covered extensively on Thursday, with the pair appearing to exchange stern words in view of prying cameras. Becky would subsequently post a picture of the pair and their daughter, Edith, on her Instagram profile with the caption “My loves”.

That was not the end of it. A previous relationship between Candice Warner, the wife of David, and British actor and writer David Walliams resurfaced in light of accusations against the latter of grooming and preying on teenage girls – allegations he has strenuously denied. Candice shared a brief relationship with Walliams in 2007 when they were seen romantically together in Australia. They would separate soon after and Candice married her husband David Warner in 2013.

Old wounds have been ripped open again, but Cricket Australia so far has refused to launch a fresh investigation, and interim chairman David Boon has publicly backed Cummins. Warner, who will commentate on Friday’s game in Perth and backed up his childhood friend Khawaja earlier this week, has taken aim at both former batting coach Graeme Hick and head coach Darren Lehmann on social media. Former bowling coach David Saker, who was working with England last month, has been accused of encouraging the use of sandpaper.

Sandpapergate was an affront to Australia’s sense of self, as a nation that claims to play hard but fair. In 2018, Cricket Australia’s investigation was wholly inadequate, leaving so many questions unanswered and leaving itself vulnerable to another reckoning like this. Cummins can finally answer some of those questions on Friday. Before that Marsh, though, found himself caught in the crossfire.