Usman Khawaja Claims Entire Australia Squad Knew of Sandpaper

Former Australia Test opener Usman Khawaja has claimed that the entire touring party knew about the 2018 ball-tampering plot in South Africa. Writing in his new autobiography, Khawaja also stated that sandpaper had been used to alter the ball condition during the preceding Test in Port Elizabeth.

Khawaja Details Widespread Knowledge of Sandpaper Use

The 39-year-old former opening batter, who scored 6,229 runs across 88 Test matches for Australia, revealed the details in published extracts from his autobiography, titled Sabr. Speaking to Nine newspapers, Khawaja explained that awareness of the plan to alter the condition of the ball was not confined to a small group of players. He asserted that everyone present in the dressing room was fully aware of the operation, stating that responsibility belonged to the entire setup rather than strictly to the batters, the bowlers, or the coaching staff.

According to Khawaja, the team first discovered sandpaper to be an effective ball-tampering agent during open discussions held inside the dressing room at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth, now known as Gqeberha, during the second Test of the 2018 series. Young opener Cameron Bancroft volunteered to use the item on the field after those conversations took place. Khawaja added that captain Steve Smith essentially threw his hands in the air during those dressing room talks and stated he did not want to know what was happening, giving the clear impression that he preferred to disassociate himself from the plan, as reported by The Guardian.

The scheme unravelled during the subsequent third Test at Newlands in Cape Town when television cameras caught Bancroft handling the yellow object to generate reverse swing. In the aftermath of the match, Khawaja urged his teammates inside the change rooms to stand together and accept collective responsibility as a team. He argued that everyone knew what was occurring on the field, but his recommendation was not followed. Khawaja noted that he was also shocked not to be questioned by Cricket Australia during their initial investigation, BBC reported.

Khawaja dedicated the chapter focused on the Cape Town controversy to Bancroft, Smith, and former vice-captain David Warner, explaining that he waited eight years expecting someone else to expose the full truth. He expressed disappointment that neither Warner nor any other team member had spoken out sooner, leaving the sanctioned trio to bear the entire blame. Khawaja stated that Smith, Warner, and Bancroft were crucified by the fallout and deserved the justice of having the whole squad share in the accountability.

Reactions From Management, Bowlers, and Cricket Australia

Former Australia head coach Darren Lehmann, who resigned following the fourth Test of that 2018 tour, strongly denied Khawaja's assertion that the entire squad had prior knowledge of the sandpaper plot. Speaking on ABC Sport's Grandstand, Lehmann stated that he did not believe everyone in the touring party was aware of how the ball was being altered. Lehmann remarked that while ball tampering had been part of cricket for 150 years, the practice was now obsolete, adding that the team had already paid a heavy price for the incident, according to coverage by Wisden.

Cricket Australia responded to Khawaja's allegations by reaffirming its confidence in the findings of the 2018 integrity investigation. A spokesperson for the governing body highlighted that extensive speculation had persisted over the eight years since the Cape Town Test, including during Australia's recent tour of South Africa. The spokesperson added that Cricket Australia has continually offered an open opportunity for anyone to present relevant information, maintaining that all submitted evidence has been properly considered and that the organization remains comfortable with its original conclusions.

Current Australia Test captain Pat Cummins also addressed the revelations, confirming that Khawaja had called him in October to give him a heads-up before the book was released. Cummins, who was part of the 2018 squad alongside fellow bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon, stated that the team had answered every question multiple times during the original probes. Cummins expressed no concern regarding the memoir, emphasizing that the playing group had moved on from the event years ago.

Background

The 2018 Cape Town scandal, widely referred to as sandpapergate, led to severe administrative sanctions that reshaped Australian cricket. Cricket Australia concluded its 2018 investigation by ruling that only Smith, Warner, and Bancroft had advance knowledge of the ball-tampering scheme. Smith and Warner were handed 12-month bans from international and domestic cricket, with Warner receiving a lifetime ban from leadership roles that was eventually overturned in 2024, while Bancroft received a nine-month suspension.

Speculation regarding the involvement of Australia's bowling attack persisted for years after the initial bans were handed down. In 2021, after Bancroft implied in an interview that bowler awareness was self-explanatory, Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, and Lyon released a joint statement denying any prior knowledge of a foreign substance being taken onto the field. The four bowlers pointed out that match umpires Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth inspected the ball at Newlands after television images surfaced and chose not to replace it because there was no visible sign of damage.

Why It Matters

Khawaja's account challenges the long-standing official conclusion that the 2018 ball-tampering incident was confined to three players. By alleging squad-wide awareness, these claims could revive questions regarding team culture and governance transparency within international cricket.

Representative photo: pixel2013 / Pixabay