Marsh says he has moved on. Sandpapergate has not moved on from him.

Mitchell Marsh walked into his pre-series press conference in Perth to talk about a one-day series against England. He spent roughly the first six minutes talking about 2018 instead.

The very first question: did he know sandpaper was being used to tamper with balls in South Africa? Marsh smiled. "You've six off the first ball there, mate. Well done."

That was the most he gave away all day. The answer, repeated in five different shapes, was that he wasn't there to "share my story".

This isn't reporters picking on the nearest Australian. Marsh played all four Tests of the 2018 tour. He was bowling in the Port Elizabeth session that Usman Khawaja singles out in his book Sabr, when Australia took 4 for 28 with a reverse-swinging ball Khawaja says had been tampered with. He was on the field at Cape Town when the cameras caught Cameron Bancroft with the sandpaper.

So he is one of a small group of people who can actually say yes or no to Khawaja's account. And he is now the man who leads Australia out on Friday.

He also never signed the 2021 statement the four frontline bowlers released after Bancroft's interview. Asked why, he said: "I'm not here to speak on behalf of others." That is a careful answer, and a revealing one.

Here is the part that will get lost under the "moved on" headlines. Marsh did not say there was nothing to tell. He said the opposite.

"Everyone's got their story," he said. "Some will be willing to share it, and others might not purely on the basis of the fact that they've moved on. I think it's really important that at some stage we do."

Read that again. The ODI captain thinks it is important that the 2018 group talks, at some point, just not him and not this week. He confirmed he spoke to Khawaja before the book came out, and said he doesn't judge him for writing it. He even joked: "Who knows, maybe I'll write a book one day."

Compare that with Mitchell Starc's "we weren't aware" earlier in the week. Starc gave a denial. Marsh gave a deferral. Deferrals keep stories alive.

While Marsh ducked, Pat Cummins went the other way. He announced he would speak to "any and all media about the events of this week" at 9.30am on Friday at Cricket Central in Sydney, before training ahead of the Blues' Shield match.

Two details are worth noticing. First, "any and all media": no friendly sit-down, no hand-picked outlet. Second, "allegations". Cummins could have said Khawaja's "story" or "account", the way Marsh did. He picked the word lawyers use. That points to a response that answers Khawaja point by point, not one that waves the whole thing away.

And the timing is awkward for Marsh. Cummins speaks on Friday morning in Sydney. Marsh captains in Perth that same day. Whatever Cummins says, his ODI captain will be asked about it next.

Marsh's position is honest, and it's his right. Nobody is obliged to relive the worst week of their career on demand.

But "I've moved on" works for a retired player. It doesn't really work for the Australia captain in a World Cup year, with a team-mate's book on the shelves and the Test captain about to go on the record. Each time Cummins, Starc or anyone else from that tour speaks, Marsh's silence gets louder.

The cricket, for the record, is pretty good. Australia v England, Optus Stadium, Friday, with a debut for Beardman. You can read our AUS vs ENG 1st ODI preview. Just don't expect the first question at the post-match press conference to be about the cricket.