Usman Khawaja claims entire Australia team knew of 2018 sandpaper use

Former opening batter Usman Khawaja has alleged that the entire Australian team and staff were aware of ball-tampering during the 2018 Test series in South Africa.

In extracts from his autobiography, Sabr, published by the Sydney Morning Herald, Khawaja stated that the use of sandpaper was not a secret held by a few. "It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us," Khawaja told the paper. According to BBC Sport, the 39-year-old claimed that open discussions about using sandpaper as an "effective agent" began in the dressing room during the second Test in Port Elizabeth.

Khawaja, who has 6,229 runs in 88 Tests, also alleged that the tactic was used in the match preceding the infamous Cape Town Test. He wrote that during these discussions, then-captain Steve Smith reportedly indicated he did not want to be involved in the details. Cricinfo reported that Khawaja expressed surprise at never being interviewed by Cricket Australia during their initial investigation into the scandal.

The claims directly contradict previous statements from Australian players. BBC Sport noted that bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon issued a joint statement in 2021 denying any prior knowledge of a foreign substance being taken onto the field. Former head coach Darren Lehmann, who resigned after the incident despite being cleared of wrongdoing, also disputed Khawaja's account to ABC Sport, questioning how everyone could have known the specific extent of the tampering.

Al Jazeera reminded readers that the 2018 scandal involved scuffing the ball with sandpaper to generate reverse swing, a move that was captured by television cameras during the third Test. Khawaja stated he did not want to be the one to speak about the truth but felt the issue needed to be addressed.

Background

The 2018 'Sandpapergate' scandal in Cape Town led to significant bans for Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft after Bancroft was caught on camera using sandpaper on the ball. While Cricket Australia conducted an investigation at the time, the incident remains a major controversy in international cricket.