Khawaja: Entire Australia dressing room knew of ball-tampering

The Cliff News | 7 November 2026

Former Australian Test opener Usman Khawaja has sensationally claimed that the entire Australian cricket team, not just the three sanctioned players, was privy to the ball-tampering scandal that rocked the sport in Cape Town in 2018. The assertion comes ahead of the release of his new book, 'Sabr', and directly challenges the findings of Cricket Australia.

Khawaja's statement, published in the Sydney Morning Herald, asserts that “all of us” knew about the incident, often referred to as ‘Sandpapergate’, during the third Test against South Africa. This contradicts Cricket Australia's long-held position that only captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner, and opening batter Cameron Bancroft were aware of the plot to use sandpaper on the ball.

Team-wide Awareness Alleged

Speaking ahead of his book’s release, Khawaja, who retired from international cricket after Australia's Ashes victory last winter, stated: "It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us." This declaration suggests a collective, albeit potentially passive, complicity within the dressing room.

In the aftermath of the 2018 incident, Steve Smith and David Warner received 12-month bans from cricket, while Cameron Bancroft was suspended for nine months. These sanctions were based on the understanding that they were the primary architects and executors of the plan.

Contradiction with Previous Statements

The bowlers who were part of the squad at the time – Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon – issued a joint statement in 2021 vehemently denying any knowledge of the ball-tampering. This statement came after Bancroft, when asked in a newspaper interview whether the bowling attack was aware, cryptically replied, "I think it's probably self-explanatory."

The current composition of the Australian squad means the bowlers implicated are not currently part of the limited-overs series against England, potentially delaying immediate public questioning regarding Khawaja's latest claims. Hazlewood, Lyon, Starc, and Cummins were all rested from this month's white-ball fixtures.

Khawaja's Motivation for Disclosure

In his book, Khawaja details that discussions surrounding ball-tampering plans first surfaced during the second Test of the 2018 series, held in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha). He expressed his reluctance to be the one to reveal the truth but felt compelled to do so after eight years, believing the full story should have emerged by now.

"I genuinely thought after eight years the truth would have been out by now. Maybe I thought Davey [Warner] would have exposed it, or someone else would have talked about it more."

Khawaja further elaborated that in an ideal world, he would not wish to be the individual to bring this information to light. He conveyed a sense of relief he believes many in the team will share now that the truth is being discussed, stating, "And I think most of the guys in the team, at some level, will be relieved we can finally move on."

Taking Responsibility as a Team

Khawaja recounted conversations in the dressing room immediately after the match, where he encouraged the team to accept responsibility collectively. "Take this as a team. We did this as a team. We knew what was going on. We have to take it as a team," he recalled saying.

He lamented that this collective approach was not adopted, leading to the three players bearing the brunt of the sanctions. Khawaja specifically highlighted David Warner's prolonged public scrutiny, noting, "I've seen Davey over the last eight years just get nailed bad over and over again. It's taken a big man not to say anything and just to stay quiet. He's just copped it and copped it and copped it." He expressed a belief that these individuals deserve a form of justice.

Smith's Apparent Aversion to Knowledge

Regarding the initial discussions about ball-tampering methods, Khawaja wrote that sandpaper was identified as an "effective agent." He also recalled that during these conversations, Steve Smith appeared to distance himself, saying, "he didn't want to know."

Khawaja also expressed surprise at not being asked to provide evidence during the initial investigation, given he played in the Cape Town Test and was a dressing room colleague of Bancroft.

Sandpapergate's Legacy: Humility and Renewal

Despite the controversy, Khawaja believes that 'Sandpapergate' ultimately led to a positive outcome for the Australian cricket team, fostering a sense of “humility.” He suggested that the appointment of Justin Langer as coach in the aftermath was instrumental in rebuilding the team's character.

"The best things come out of the worst times. I genuinely believe, for the Australian cricket team, the best thing that came out of Sandpaper is we found humility again. JL [Justin Langer] came in as coach and he was honestly probably the best coach we could've had at that time. He put humility back in the Australian cricket team."

He further praised the leadership transition, noting that current captain Pat Cummins was part of this journey of renewal. Speaking before Australia's recent Test series loss in South Africa (2-1), Cummins indicated he had given Khawaja his blessing to share his story, stating, "tell your story. It's fine. It's obviously a long time ago and all the investigations, everything, was done back then. We answered every question a million times. It was dealt with. All I can say is that as a group, we have moved on."

Cricket Australia's Response

Cricket Australia issued a statement acknowledging the ongoing speculation surrounding the 2018 incident. The statement reiterated that opportunities have been available to present any relevant information and affirmed their satisfaction with the findings of their past integrity processes.

"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. During this time there has been the ongoing opportunity to present any relevant information, and this remains the case. All relevant information presented to CA to date has been properly considered and we remain comfortable with the findings of our integrity process."