Eight years after Australian cricket was engulfed by the Sandpapergate scandal, former Test opener Usman Khawaja has reignited questions about who knew what, when they knew it and why only three players were punished for the ball-tampering controversy that rocked the sport in 2018.
In revelations published ahead of the release of his autobiography _Sabr_, Khawaja alleges that sandpaper was used during Australia’s second Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth, before Cameron Bancroft was caught attempting to alter the condition of the ball in Cape Town.
He has also challenged Cricket Australia‘s handling of the subsequent investigation, questioned why he was never interviewed despite sitting beside Bancroft in the dressing room and argued that the entire touring party should have accepted collective responsibility.
The controversy has intensified after David Warner, who received a 12-month suspension for his role in the scandal, publicly endorsed Khawaja’s account and criticised the investigation.
Their comments have prompted renewed scrutiny of Cricket Australia‘s original findings, while former teammates, coaches and prominent cricket figures have offered sharply differing perspectives on the events of 2018.
Khawaja says Sandpapergate was a collective failure
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Khawaja challenged the idea that responsibility for the scandal should have rested solely with Warner, Bancroft and then-Captain Steve Smith.
“It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us,” Khawaja said.
The scandal erupted during the third Test against South Africa at Newlands in March 2018, when television cameras captured Bancroft attempting to alter the ball with sandpaper before concealing the material.
Cricket Australia’s investigation subsequently sanctioned Smith and Warner for 12 months each, while Bancroft received a nine-month suspension. Smith was found to have known about the plan without preventing it, while Warner was identified as a central figure in its development.
Khawaja believes the penalties left the three players carrying a burden that should have been shared by the wider team.
Recalling his attempt to persuade teammates to accept collective responsibility, he told The Sydney Morning Herald: “Even in the change rooms when I was talking to them after the game. I said, ‘Take this as a team’. We did this as a team. We knew what was going on, and we have to take it as a team, and so I was always of that stance. Obviously, it didn’t work that way, and those three guys got crucified. I’ve seen Davey over the last eight years just get nailed bad over and over again, and it’s taken a big man not to say anything and just to stay quiet. And he’s just copped it and he’s copped it and he’s copped it.”
However, Khawaja has since clarified that his call for collective responsibility should not be interpreted as a claim that every individual participated in the same conduct.
In the first of two Instagram videos addressing the fallout, he explained: “You would have seen when I mentioned it was all of us, that’s implying that whether we like it or not, we are all responsible for what happened together. As a team, we need to take that collectively. That is all. But now that everyone’s talking, am I going to deny that everyone knew? Nah, I won’t deny that, either. But I never speak on behalf of anyone else in my book, contrary to what the headlines in clickbait media would have you think.”
That distinction is important. Khawaja is arguing for shared accountability while also maintaining that awareness of the ball-tampering activity extended beyond the three sanctioned players. Other members of the touring party have disputed suggestions of widespread knowledge.
Sandpaper allegedly used during the Port Elizabeth Test
One of Khawaja’s most consequential allegations concerns events before the infamous Cape Town Test.
In extracts from Sabr published by News Corp and other Australian outlets, he claims the team had already experimented with sandpaper during the second Test in Port Elizabeth, now known as Gqeberha.
According to Khawaja’s account, discussions about generating reverse swing developed in the dressing room at St George’s Park, where players considered ways to roughen one side of the ball.
He described the discussions as “open, lighthearted discussions” that led to the “discovery of sandpaper as an effective agent”.
The account goes beyond a claim that sandpaper was merely discussed. Khawaja alleges that the substance was actually applied to a ball during the second Test, demonstrating how significantly it could alter the ball’s surface.
He also describes a method intended to avoid the attention of match officials and television cameras.
Writing in Sabr, Khawaja explained: “We all knew that the umpire would drop the ball on the boundary as we went out onto the field. At that point, there’d be no cameras on us and the umpires would be about 100 metres ahead. We could then do whatever we wanted. Straightaway, Bull [Warner] said, ‘Well, I can’t do it – they’re all over me’. I was never going to do it, nor did I think anyone else would. So I just laughed. Then, Cameron Bancroft, who was only six games into his Test career and maybe wanting to fit in, said, ‘I’ll do it’.”
Khawaja’s account suggests that Bancroft volunteered to carry out the task while still relatively inexperienced at international level.
He also alleges that Smith distanced himself from the discussions. Describing the former Captain’s reaction in his autobiography, Khawaja wrote: “It was at this point Smith essentially threw his hands in the air and said he didn’t want to know.”
The Port Elizabeth allegations raise questions about whether the events at Newlands represented an isolated incident or the continuation of conduct that had already occurred earlier in the series.
Those allegations have not been established by a new Cricket Australia investigation.
Khawaja alleges a coach encouraged Bancroft at Newlands
Khawaja’s autobiography also includes an allegation involving an unidentified member of Australia’s coaching staff during the Cape Town Test.
He says that wet conditions were affecting the team’s ability to generate reverse swing, increasing the emphasis on keeping one side of the ball dry and rough.
In an extract from Sabr, Khawaja wrote: “When we came back into the changing rooms for the break after we’d been dismissed for 255, I saw one of the coaches approach Cameron Bancroft, who was sitting right next to me. I could obviously hear everything. With a smile on his face, he said, ‘Bangers, whatever you’re doing, we need more of it. It’s wet out there – we just need more of it’.”
Khawaja did not name the coach in that passage.
Former Australia Head Coach Darren Lehmann has denied being the individual described and said he had no knowledge of the alleged conversation.
The allegation adds another disputed element to the scandal, particularly because Cricket Australia’s original investigation did not establish wrongdoing by members of the coaching staff.
Two players allegedly opposed taking collective responsibility
Khawaja has also revealed that his proposal for the entire team to accept responsibility faced opposition within the touring party.
According to extracts from Sabr reported by CODE Sports, Team Manager Gavin Dovey informed Khawaja that two players did not support a collective approach.
Khawaja has not publicly identified those players, but he made clear that their opposition deeply disappointed him.
“This was the most disappointing thing for me,” he wrote, before adding: “I knew who those two guys were and it was ludicrous out of everyone it was them. It showed me their true colours though. When the going got tough all they cared about was themselves. But I was not going to stop fighting this cause.”
The revelation suggests that disagreement over how to respond to the scandal emerged within the Australian dressing room itself.
It also helps explain why Khawaja’s preferred response did not materialise, despite his insistence that the team should have faced the consequences together.
Warner breaks silence and backs Khawaja’s account
Warner’s intervention has become one of the most significant developments in the renewed controversy.
In an Instagram video, the former Australia opener publicly supported Khawaja, his childhood friend and long-time opening partner.
“It’s been eight years since I’ve spoken on this topic. And Uzzy, I throw my full support behind you. I thank you for what you’ve done,” Warner said.
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He then offered an unequivocal endorsement of Khawaja’s version of events, declaring: “It’s 100 per cent accurate what you’ve said. Now everyone knows the truth. It’s out there.”
Warner defended Khawaja against suggestions that his disclosures were primarily intended to promote his autobiography, describing them as an account he had documented years earlier.
The endorsement carries particular significance because Warner was among the three players punished in 2018 and has largely avoided publicly revisiting the details of the scandal.
However, Warner’s support does not resolve the conflicting accounts concerning precisely what individual players or staff knew about the use of sandpaper.
Warner and Khawaja question Cricket Australia’s investigation
Both former Australian openers have challenged the thoroughness of Cricket Australia’s original integrity investigation.
Khawaja says he was never interviewed despite being present throughout the Cape Town Test and sitting beside Bancroft in the dressing room.
Explaining his frustration to The Sydney Morning Herald, he said: “I was sitting next to Cam Bancroft that whole Test match, and I didn’t get interviewed. I thoroughly feel that I didn’t get interviewed because of that, because they knew that I wanted to take it as a team, because they knew I was ready to tell the truth if I was interviewed. And I was waiting for my phone to ring. It just never rang, and then the penalties were given, and I couldn’t believe it.”
His suggestion that investigators deliberately avoided interviewing him is an allegation about their motives, not an established finding.
Warner has nevertheless questioned how the investigation could be considered comprehensive without obtaining Khawaja’s account.
“Now this whole interview process was rushed… Uzzy was not interviewed. How is that a thorough investigation? It baffles me,” Warner said in his Instagram video.
He framed his criticism as a demand for accountability rather than an attempt to identify additional players for punishment, adding: “We’re not here to point fingers, and we’re not opening old wounds. It’s about accountability, transparency, ensuring that the truth is properly examined.”
Warner also challenged the focus on Khawaja’s decision to speak publicly, arguing: “And perhaps it’s time people stop scrutinising the person asking for accountability, and start asking those responsible for the investigation to provide it.”
The comments shift attention from the original sanctions to the governance process that produced them.
Cricket Australia defends its original findings
Cricket Australia has maintained its confidence in the integrity process conducted after the 2018 scandal.
Responding to Khawaja’s allegations, the governing body said in an official statement: “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.”
The statement indicates that Cricket Australia remains willing to consider relevant information but does not suggest that a new investigation has been launched.
The renewed controversy nevertheless raises a broader governance question: whether an investigation that did not interview every potentially relevant member of the touring party could have fully established the extent of awareness within the team.
Reports have also indicated that Peter Collins, who led a player review following the scandal, has called for the investigation to be reopened.
For Cricket Australia, the issue is therefore not simply whether the original penalties were appropriate, but whether the findings remain sufficiently comprehensive in light of the subsequent allegations.
Australia’s bowlers have consistently denied prior knowledge
Any assessment of Khawaja’s account must also consider the longstanding denials from Australia’s bowling attack.
In 2021, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon issued a joint statement after Bancroft suggested in an interview with The Guardian that whether the bowlers knew about ball tampering was self-evident.
Asked about their possible awareness, Bancroft replied: “I think it’s probably self-explanatory.”
The four bowlers subsequently rejected the suggestion that they had known sandpaper was being taken onto the field.
In their joint statement, they said: “We feel compelled to put the key facts on the record again. We did not know a foreign substance was taken on to the field to alter the condition of the ball until we saw the images on the big screen at Newlands. And to those who, despite the absence of evidence, insist that ‘we must have known’ about the use of a foreign substance simply because we are bowlers, we say this: The umpires during that Test match, Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth, both very respected and experienced umpires, inspected the ball after the images surfaced on the TV coverage and did not change it because there was no sign of damage. We respectfully request an end to the rumour-mongering and innuendo. It has gone on too long and it is time to move on.”
Their denial specifically concerns prior knowledge of a foreign substance being taken onto the field to alter the ball.
That is distinct from Khawaja’s wider argument about collective responsibility and his allegations concerning earlier dressing-room discussions.
The competing accounts remain unresolved, and neither Khawaja’s claims nor Warner’s endorsement independently establishes that the four bowlers knew about Bancroft’s use of sandpaper before it was exposed.
Khawaja says the 2021 bowlers’ statement ended another attempt to speak out
Khawaja has revealed that he considered pursuing collective responsibility again in 2021, when Bancroft’s interview revived questions about the scandal.
According to his autobiography and Instagram explanation, he contacted then-Australia Head Coach Justin Langer and then-Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) Chief Executive Todd Greenberg.
Khawaja said he again advocated for the team to accept responsibility collectively rather than allowing the controversy to focus on the bowlers.
However, the subsequent joint statement from Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon effectively ended that effort.
In Sabr, Khawaja described his frustration with the statement, writing: “This really pissed me off but not as much as it pissed Davy off.”
He also recalled Warner’s reaction, adding: “I got some pretty heated texts that night.”
Speaking in his first Instagram video, Khawaja explained why he did not challenge the bowlers publicly at the time.
“I wasn’t going to go to war with those guys back then. I just wasn’t comfortable. That’s the truth,” he said.
He explained that he was still part of the Australian setup and believed publicly confronting teammates would have affected the wider team.
The sequence helps explain why Khawaja says he remained silent even after fresh questions emerged three years after Cape Town.
Lehmann disputes the claim that everyone knew
Lehmann, who resigned as Australia’s Head Coach following the 2018 scandal, has disputed the suggestion that every member of the touring party knew about the use of sandpaper.
“I don’t think everyone would have known \[about the use of sandpaper\],” Lehmann said on ABC Sport’s Summer Grandstand.
He acknowledged that ball manipulation had long been an issue in international cricket but distinguished general awareness of reverse-swing tactics from knowledge of the specific sandpaper operation.
Addressing the broader history of the practice, Lehmann said: “I can’t speak for them, I can only know what I know, and I know ball tampering was a big part of the game of cricket. Now it’s obsolete. That doesn’t make it right either, but that’s the case, and we paid a heavy price for that.”
Lehmann also denied knowing about the conversations Khawaja says occurred during the Port Elizabeth Test.
He said he could not recall Khawaja urging the dressing room to accept collective responsibility, although he did not rule out that such an appeal might have taken place while he was occupied elsewhere.
The former Head Coach similarly said he was unaware of the alleged exchange between Bancroft and an unnamed coach.
Lehmann has described the renewed discussion as emotionally difficult, recalling the personal consequences of the scandal and the support he needed in its aftermath.
His account highlights the extent to which recollections and interpretations of the events continue to differ among those involved.
Khawaja says he tried to speak out in 2018
Khawaja has also rejected the suggestion that he waited eight years before considering a public account of the scandal.
In his first Instagram video, he said he had recorded his recollections shortly after the Cape Town incident and intended to speak publicly once the sanctions were announced.
He claims Smith persuaded him not to do so because the former Captain wanted to accept responsibility for his own actions.
Khawaja’s explanation was that he had been shocked by the severity of the punishments and believed the response should have involved the entire team.
His account suggests that his decision to remain silent in 2018 was influenced by Smith’s wishes, while his reluctance to challenge teammates publicly contributed to his continued silence in subsequent years.
Khawaja also described the difficulty of speaking out while representing Australia, arguing that anything he said could have consequences for his teammates.
In his Instagram explanation, he cited his decision to speak out about Palestinians in 2023 as an example of how conscious he was of the potential impact of his comments on the national team.
Having retired from international cricket in January 2026, he says he now feels able to discuss the scandal without speaking as a current member of the side.
Why Khawaja waited until after the South Africa series
The timing of the revelations has become a major point of criticism, particularly because they coincide with the publication of Sabr.
Khawaja has rejected suggestions that book sales were his primary motivation.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, he explained: “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. The issue is that I genuinely thought after eight years the truth would have been out by now. Maybe I thought Davey (David Warner) would have exposed it, or someone else would have talked about it more. I just didn’t think it was going to come down to this. But the longer it’s gone on for, and right from the very start, I’ve been on the train of collectively taking it.”
He also said he deliberately waited until Australia’s recent three-Test series in South Africa had concluded before publishing his account.
In his second Instagram video, Khawaja explained that he did not want the controversy to affect the current team while it was competing overseas.
He argued that releasing the material during the series would have generated greater publicity for his autobiography, making his decision to wait inconsistent with claims that he was pursuing maximum commercial exposure.
Khawaja had also contacted Cummins before the tour to inform him that the book would revisit Sandpapergate.
Cummins subsequently told reporters that he had no objection to his former teammate telling his story.
“Tell your story. It’s fine. It’s obviously a long time ago and all the investigations, everything was done back then and we answered every question a million times. It was dealt with then and all I can say is that as a group, we have moved on and we are very happy with the last eight to nine years how we have been as a group and evolved and obviously my focus is on captaining the cricket team,” Cummins said ahead of the South Africa series.
Khawaja says Warner, Smith and Bancroft deserve justice
Khawaja has repeatedly argued that the lasting consequences of Sandpapergate have been borne disproportionately by the three sanctioned players.
He has pointed to Warner’s years of public criticism, Smith’s emotional difficulties despite his successful return to Test cricket and Bancroft’s struggle to re-establish himself internationally.
Discussing Bancroft’s career, Khawaja told The Sydney Morning Herald: “And then ‘Bangers’ [Bancroft] in the same note, particularly, he played a little bit of Test cricket after that, but then never came back in, even though he’s been scoring a lot of runs. He’s been a terrific cricketer for a long time, but I know it’s something that hangs over his head.”
He also acknowledged Smith’s remarkable comeback while emphasising that the former Captain had not forgotten the ordeal.
In his second Instagram video, Khawaja rejected claims that he was portraying himself or other members of the touring party as victims.
“I haven’t thrown anyone under the bus. The guys that are currently in the team right now and the other people that were there on the South African tour, including me, we’re not the victims. These three guys took the blame for all of us. They’re the victims. People telling them that they’re cheats, getting nailed by the crowd, public humiliation,” he said.
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Khawaja also revealed that Bancroft had spoken to him about how difficult it had been to watch Australia’s recent return to South Africa, while Smith remained reluctant to revisit the subject.
The personal dimension is particularly significant because Khawaja has dedicated the Sandpapergate chapter of Sabr to Smith, Warner and Bancroft.
He has also disclosed that he made a commitment to Warner to eventually speak publicly about the events.
“I made a promise to my childhood friend David Warner that I would tell the truth, so he could tell a story. I’m absolutely 100 percent unapologetic for that. I stuck up for all cricketers in the past through the ACA, fighting for what I thought was right. This is no different,” Khawaja said on Instagram.
He has maintained that his objective is collective accountability rather than punishment for additional individuals.
Warner reveals the emotional impact on his family
Warner’s Instagram response also highlighted the lasting personal consequences of the scandal.
He said he had delayed commenting on Khawaja’s revelations because he needed to discuss the renewed controversy with his daughters.
His eldest daughter, Ivy, had questions about the emotional scenes surrounding the family’s return from South Africa in 2018, including why her parents were crying in front of television cameras.
Warner said the conversation had been difficult but reinforced the importance of telling the truth.
He also acknowledged the continuing impact on Smith and Bancroft, stating: “It’s been a tough time for my family, Steven [Smith], and Cameron [Bancroft] no doubt. But this is what needed to come out.”
His comments underline why Khawaja’s disclosures have resonated beyond the original sporting penalties.
For the three players sanctioned in 2018, the controversy has remained a personal and reputational issue long after their suspensions ended.
Former teammates and cricket figures question the timing
Reaction from former Australian players has been mixed, with some supporting Khawaja’s account while questioning why he waited until retirement to speak.
Former Australia fast bowler Chadd Sayers, who was part of the 2018 South Africa touring squad, endorsed Khawaja’s account but challenged the timing.
“Everything Usman says in his article is accurate, but if he felt so strongly about it, why didn’t he say something at the time?” Sayers told CODE Sports.
Former Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has similarly argued that wider awareness of the ball-tampering operation would be consistent with his understanding of how closely bowlers monitor the condition of the ball.
However, Johnson also acknowledged the difficulty of establishing precisely who knew what and whether any individuals were pressured to remain silent.
Former England Captain Geoffrey Boycott questioned how an entire touring party could have reached the point of contemplating illegal ball manipulation without someone openly objecting.
Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle also suggested that the revelations had raised further questions about the extent of participation and knowledge within the Australian setup.
These reactions reflect a broader concern about the difference between suspicion, individual awareness and evidence sufficient to establish responsibility.
Vaughan criticises Cricket Australia as Taylor warns of disruption
Former England Captain Michael Vaughan has been among the strongest critics of Cricket Australia’s handling of the affair.
Writing in The Telegraph, Vaughan questioned the scope of the original investigation and suggested the governing body’s approach had allowed the controversy to resurface years later.
“What I can’t understand is how Australia thought they would put this to bed. It has been an open secret in cricket circles. How the hell don’t you know something like that in a team environment? … You can’t tell me the Australian team did not communicate that or the bowlers were totally unaware of what was being done to the ball they were using. … Cricket Australia is as culpable as any of the players involved. It decided to narrow the scope of the investigation, creating the possibility for it to be exposed later down the line,” Vaughan wrote.
He also suggested that renewed scrutiny could create problems for Australia’s current team, particularly as Cummins and other players face questions about events from eight years earlier.
At the same time, Vaughan questioned whether the timing of Khawaja’s disclosures was connected to the commercial demands of publishing his autobiography.
Former Australia Test Captain Mark Taylor has expressed similar concerns about the potential distraction for the national side.
Speaking on Nine’s _Wide World of Sports_, Taylor said: “I’m disappointed we’re going to keep asking it again and again; it’s going to be a nightmare for Pat Cummins and the team leading into the summer of cricket.”
Taylor has also questioned whether another round of public debate would ultimately establish a definitive account of the scandal.
The competing views illustrate the tension between demands for further accountability and concerns about the consequences of reopening a controversy that Australian cricket has spent years trying to move beyond.
Gillespie questions Bancroft’s treatment after the scandal
The renewed debate has also brought attention to Bancroft’s career since his suspension.
Former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie has questioned why the opener received so few further Test opportunities despite producing strong performances in the Sheffield Shield.
Speaking on ABC Radio, Gillespie said: “If you go on his output at Sheffield Shield level, he should have been considered for selection. What didn’t get him over the line? It wasn’t because he was not scoring runs, because he was scoring more runs than anyone else. It all points, I reckon, to just personality: certain people, whoever’s selecting the teams, favour certain players over the others. That’s how it sounds.”
Gillespie also described Khawaja’s account of urging the entire dressing room to accept responsibility as one of the most revealing aspects of the new disclosures.
Western Australia Coach Beau Casson has indicated that Bancroft remains focused on his cricket rather than prolonging the public controversy.
Speaking to _The West Australian_, Casson said: “He’s a grown man and a very mature guy – I think he’s handled himself with distinction in that space. The situation was a long time ago. He’s keen to move on and let his bat do the talking, and that’s what we promote him to do.”
Bancroft’s treatment has become part of a wider discussion about whether the consequences of Sandpapergate extended beyond the formal suspensions imposed in 2018.
Khawaja says Australian cricket ultimately benefited from greater humility
Despite his criticism of how the scandal was handled, Khawaja has acknowledged that Australian cricket underwent important cultural changes in its aftermath.
He has credited Justin Langer, who became Head Coach after Lehmann’s departure, with helping restore humility to the national team.
Khawaja also views Cummins’ subsequent leadership as part of that evolution.
“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. It was just lovely to see. It was beautiful. I really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed seeing where the Australian team went from that point onwards and obviously Cummins, who ended up becoming captain, was a part of that process and journey,” Khawaja told The Sydney Morning Herald.
What the renewed Sandpapergate controversy means for Cricket Australia
Khawaja’s allegations and Warner’s public endorsement have reopened a controversy that Cricket Australia had hoped was settled.
The immediate questions concern the alleged use of sandpaper in Port Elizabeth, the discussions that preceded Bancroft’s actions at Newlands, the possible involvement of coaching staff and the extent of knowledge within the Australian touring party.
Equally significant are questions about the investigation: why Khawaja was not interviewed, whether all relevant evidence was considered and whether the original findings adequately reflected what happened.
Cricket Australia continues to defend its integrity process. The four bowlers who played at Newlands have explicitly denied prior knowledge of sandpaper being taken onto the field. Lehmann has also disputed the suggestion that everyone knew.
Khawaja, meanwhile, maintains that the three sanctioned players should not have been left to shoulder the consequences alone, and Warner has publicly supported his account.
The central issue is therefore no longer limited to the ball-tampering incident itself. It now extends to how Australian cricket investigated the scandal, allocated responsibility and managed the consequences for the people involved.
Eight years after the cameras at Newlands exposed Bancroft’s actions, those questions remain contested—and the latest revelations have ensured that Sandpapergate is once again a major issue for Cricket Australia’s leadership and the wider game.
