Retired Australian opener Usman Khawaja has asserted that the entire national cricket team was aware of the 2018 “Sandpapergate” scandal. In his upcoming autobiography, Khawaja claims that the illicit ball-tampering tactics used in Cape Town were also employed during the preceding Test match in Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth. “There has been a great deal of speculation in the eight years since the 2018 Cape Town Test, including extensive media coverage throughout last month’s series in South Africa,” it said.
Following the 2018 incident, a Cricket Australia investigation concluded that only three players—captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner, and batter Cameron Bancroft—had prior knowledge of the scheme. “Maybe I thought Davey [Warner] would have exposed it, or someone else would have talked about it more.
These findings led to severe disciplinary actions: Smith and Warner received 12-month bans, with Smith losing his captaincy and Warner stripped of leadership roles, while Bancroft was suspended for nine months. Darren Lehmann, then head coach, resigned shortly after the series.
Khawaja, who concluded his career with 88 Test appearances, challenged the narrative that only the trio was involved. “It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us,” he stated in advance of his book release. He recalled urging his teammates to accept collective responsibility immediately following the Cape Town Test rather than isolating the three individuals. But Khawaja, who retired this year after 88 Tests, told The Sydney Morning Herald everyone had prior knowledge. According to all of us,” he, Ahead of the release of his autobiography next week, where a chapter is dedicated to the issue.
The claims directly contradict public statements made by bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon, who in 2021 explicitly denied any prior knowledge of the plot. Khawaja expressed regret that the full truth had not emerged sooner, noting that he had hoped other colleagues would have spoken up over the past eight years. I just didn’t think it was going to come down to this.”.
According to his account, internal discussions regarding methods to manipulate the condition of the ball occurred in the dressing room at the Port Elizabeth Test. Khawaja alleges that after sandpaper was identified as an effective tool, Smith distanced himself from the specifics, stating he did not want to know about it, before Bancroft volunteered to use the material during South Africa’s first innings.
Addressing the allegations, Cricket Australia issued a statement reaffirming its confidence in the initial integrity investigation. The governing body acknowledged the ongoing speculation regarding the 2018 events but maintained that all relevant evidence presented to them had been thoroughly considered. Officials emphasized that they remain open to receiving new information, though they currently stand by the original findings of their process.
Khawaja admitted his reluctance to revisit the controversy, stating, “In an ideal world, I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to be the one who comes out and talks about the truth.” He added that he believed the facts would have surfaced naturally before he felt compelled to include the details in his memoir.
