Usman Khawaja Claims Entire Australian Team Knew About 2018 Ball-Tampering Scandal

Former Australia opener Usman Khawaja has claimed that the entire national team knew about the ball-tampering plot that became known as “Sandpapergate” during the 2018 Test series in South Africa.

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald published on Saturday, Khawaja said the controversy was not limited to the three players identified by Cricket Australia’s investigation. He also alleged that discussions about altering the condition of the ball had taken place during the previous Test in Port Elizabeth, now known as Gqeberha.

“It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us,” Khawaja said ahead of the release of his autobiography next week, which includes a chapter on the scandal.

The controversy erupted during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town in March 2018, when television cameras showed Cameron Bancroft using sandpaper to tamper with the ball. Captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were subsequently sent home, while Bancroft also left the tour.

Cricket Australia’s investigation at the time found that Smith, Warner and Bancroft were the only players with prior knowledge of the plan. Smith was banned for 12 months and removed as captain. Warner received a 12-month suspension and was barred from holding leadership positions, while Bancroft was banned for nine months.

Khawaja, who retired this year after playing 88 Tests, said he had urged teammates in the dressing room after the Cape Town match to accept collective responsibility rather than allowing the three players to become scapegoats.

He said he had expected the full account to emerge during the eight years since the incident.

“In an ideal world, I don’t want to do this,” Khawaja said. “I don’t want to be the one who comes out and talks about the truth.”

He added that he had thought Warner or someone else would eventually speak more openly about what happened.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Khawaja’s book describes discussions during the Port Elizabeth Test about ways to rough up the ball. The account says players eventually identified sandpaper as an effective method. Smith allegedly withdrew from the discussion, saying he did not want to know about it, while Bancroft volunteered to use the material during South Africa’s first innings.

Australia’s fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and spinner Nathan Lyon publicly denied knowing about the plan in 2021.

Cricket Australia said it remained confident in the findings of its original investigation but was willing to consider new evidence.

The governing body said relevant information presented since the scandal had been properly assessed and that the opportunity to submit further material remained open.