Usman Khawaja has defended his decision to speak out about the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, stating he has not deliberately targeted anyone or thrown his former teammates under the bus. In his autobiographySabrand a subsequent interview with theSydney Morning Heraldthe former Australia batter argued that the entire team should share responsibility for the plot to use sandpaper on the ball during the third Test against South Africa. As a team, we need to take that collectively. I never wanted to be the first guy to chat about this,” he said.
Addressing the controversy in videos shared on Instagram this past Sunday, the 39-year-old clarified his position. He explained that when he suggested it was all of us, he was implying a collective responsibility for the incident, regardless of personal feelings. He asserted that he refuses to deny that the whole team was aware of the plot, though he maintained that he speaks only for himself in his book, contrary to what he described as clickbait media narratives.
The 2018 incident at Newlands resulted in sanctions only for captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner, and opener Cameron Bancroft.
Khawaja, who debuted for Australia against England in 2011, noted that he waited until after the recent series in South Africa to discuss these events to avoid causing disruption.
He stated, “These three guys took the blame for all of us, and they’re the victims. Yes, it was tough for everyone, including me. I had sleepless nights, too.” Am I going to deny that everyone knew, but now that everyone’s talking.
Khawaja addressed criticism regarding his silence during the four years he remained in the team, admitting he did not know how to approach the subject while still an active player. He candidly remarked, “Call me a chicken or whatever you want, I didn’t know how to do it because I was still on the team. How was I ever supposed to bring this up when I knew some of my team-mates didn’t want to talk about it?”
Other players implicated in the controversy have consistently denied having knowledge of the plan. Four bowlers who played in that match—Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon—issued a joint statement in 2021 affirming they did not know a foreign substance was taken onto the field. Former coach Darren Lehmann, who resigned following the scandal, also disputed Khawaja’s claims, telling ABC on Saturday: “I don’t think everyone would have known.”
Before the book’s release, Khawaja met with current Test captain Pat Cummins to discuss its contents. The meeting occurred prior to the most recent series in South Africa, which the Proteas won 2-1. Khawaja, who retired from international cricket in January, concluded his 88-Test career with 6,229 runs.
Cricket Australia has shown no indication that it intends to reopen the investigation into the 2018 events. In a formal statement, the governing body noted that while there has been significant speculation and media coverage over the past eight years, they remain satisfied with their original integrity process. They emphasized that any relevant information presented to them has been properly considered and that the opportunity to bring forward new facts remains open.
