Usman Khawaja claims entire Australia cricket team knew of 2018 ball-tampering plot

Former Australia Test batter Usman Khawaja has alleged that the entire Australian touring party was aware of the plan to tamper with the ball during the 2018 series against South Africa. In his autobiography, titled 'Sabr', Khawaja writes that the team also utilized sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball during the second Test in Port Elizabeth, prior to the widely publicized incident in Cape Town. The 2018 scandal, often referred to as 'sandpapergate', resulted in 12-month suspensions for then-captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner, and a nine-month ban for Cameron Bancroft. Khawaja stated that the team should have accepted collective responsibility for the actions, noting that he had urged his teammates to do so in the dressing room following the Cape Town match. He expressed that he felt the three sanctioned players were 'crucified' while the rest of the team avoided similar consequences. In response to the claims, a Cricket Australia spokesperson stated that the organization remains 'comfortable' with the findings of its original integrity process and noted that all relevant information presented to date has been considered. The four bowlers involved in the 2018 series—Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon—previously issued a joint statement in 2021 denying any prior knowledge of the use of a foreign substance on the field. Current Test captain Pat Cummins, who was informed by Khawaja about the book's publication, stated last month that the matter was dealt with years ago and that the team has moved on.