Former Australia opener Usman Khawaja has reignited one of the biggest controversies in cricket history, claiming that the entire Australian team knew about the use of sandpaper during the infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. In a fresh revelation ahead of the release of his autobiography Sabr, Khawaja has challenged Cricket Australia’s original investigation, which held Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft responsible for the incident.
The 39-year-old has also alleged that Australia used sandpaper during the second Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth, now known as Gqeberha, before the incident was exposed during the third Test in Cape Town. His claims have brought the Sandpapergate controversy back into the spotlight eight years after it severely damaged Australian cricket’s reputation.
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald ahead of his book’s release, Khawaja made his position clear about how much the dressing room knew about the incident.
“It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us,” Khawaja said.
His statement directly contradicts the findings of Cricket Australia’s investigation in 2018, which identified only three players as having prior knowledge of the ball-tampering plan.
Khawaja reveals sandpaper was used before Cape Town Test
In his upcoming autobiography, Sabr, Khawaja has provided further details about the events surrounding Australia’s 2018 South Africa tour. According to his account, discussions about using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball began during the second Test at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth.
Khawaja claims that the Australian dressing room openly discussed different ways of roughening the ball to generate reverse swing. During those discussions, sandpaper emerged as an effective option. He also wrote that Bancroft volunteered to use it during the second Test, where the ball reportedly generated significant movement.
Khawaja further claimed that Steve Smith walked away from the discussion, indicating that he did not want to know about the plan.
The allegations add another dimension to the Sandpapergate scandal because the incident had previously been associated with the third Test at Newlands, Cape Town.
Khawaja also revealed that he was sitting next to Bancroft in the dressing room during the Cape Town Test. Despite his presence and knowledge of the circumstances, he said Cricket Australia’s investigators never contacted him for an interview.
What happened during Australia’s 2018 Sandpapergate scandal?
The controversy erupted during the third Test between Australia and South Africa at Newlands in March 2018. Television cameras caught Cameron Bancroft attempting to rough up the cricket ball using a small piece of sandpaper.
Bancroft was subsequently seen attempting to hide the object inside his trousers when confronted by the umpires. The footage quickly spread across the cricket world, triggering widespread criticism of the Australian team.
Following an investigation, Cricket Australia handed Steve Smith and David Warner 12-month suspensions from international and domestic cricket. Bancroft received a nine-month suspension.
Smith was also removed as captain, while Warner was permanently barred from holding a leadership position in Australian cricket at the time. That leadership restriction was eventually lifted in 2024.
The controversy also resulted in head coach Darren Lehmann stepping down after the South African tour. Justin Langer subsequently took charge of the Australian men’s team, while Tim Paine became the new Test captain.
Khawaja wants Smith, Warner and Bancroft to share less of the blame
One of the biggest reasons behind Khawaja’s decision to discuss the controversy again is his belief that the three punished players were left carrying the entire burden.
He revealed that he had encouraged his teammates to accept collective responsibility immediately after the incident rather than allowing the blame to fall on only three individuals.
Khawaja also spoke about the criticism Warner faced over the following years and how Bancroft struggled to regain his place in the Australian Test team despite producing consistent performances in domestic cricket.
The former opener said he dedicated the relevant chapter of Sabr to Smith, Warner and Bancroft because he had witnessed the impact the scandal continued to have on their careers.
Before making the revelations public, Khawaja also informed current Australia captain Pat Cummins and Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg about what he had written in the book.
Cricket Australia and Darren Lehmann respond to the allegations
Khawaja’s claims have not gone unchallenged. Cricket Australia has maintained that it remains comfortable with the findings of its original integrity investigation.
The governing body stated that all relevant information presented to it had been properly considered, while also leaving the door open for additional information to be submitted.
Former Australia head coach Darren Lehmann has also questioned Khawaja’s version of events. Lehmann said he did not believe everyone in the Australian camp knew about the specific use of sandpaper and maintained that he had no personal knowledge of the plan.
The allegations also bring back questions raised by Bancroft in 2021, when he suggested that Australia’s bowlers were aware of the ball-tampering activities. However, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon subsequently issued a joint statement denying that they knew a foreign substance had been used on the ball.
Khawaja also discussed South Africa’s approach to reverse swing, claiming that the hosts were more experienced in working on the ball and that Australia were attempting to keep up.
Eight years later, his revelations have reopened a debate that Australian cricket had seemingly put behind it. Whether the new claims lead to further scrutiny of the 2018 investigation remains to be seen.
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