Bancroft to stay grounded after Khawaja's bombshell

PerthNow - Nov 7, 2026

Usman Khawaja's bombshell claims about the 2018 ball-tampering scandal have sent shock waves through Australian cricket, casting doubt on exactly who knew what.

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DAEGU — Samsung Lions starting pitcher Chris Paddack is a proud Texan. The Austin native dons a full suit, completed with a cowboy hat and boots, on the day of his starts, and he once even asked his team interpreter to put on a suit himself earlier in the ongoing Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason. Paddack also takes pride in his work ethic and his ability to rise to the occasion in key spots. The 30-year-old right-hander has been just the type of postseason workhorse that teams need to win championships, and thanks in large part to Paddack, the Lions are sitting two wins away from capturing their first Korean Series title since 2014. They lead the best-of-seven championship battle 2-1. Paddack threw 295 pitches in a recent 10-day span. He made his KBO postseason debut Oct. 26 in Game 1 of the previous series against the Kia Tigers, making 94 pitches in 4 2/3 innings. Then he started Game 4 of that series on three days' rest on Oct. 30, throwing 99 pitches over 5 1/3 innings. On Wednesday, he got the ball in Game 2 of the Korean Series, and he threw 102 pitches in seven inni

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