Khawaja defends Sandpapergate comments
The former Australian opener says he did not target current players and argues the original trio bears the burden of the 2018 scandal.
By Ayanda Boateng ·
Usman Khawaja has responded to criticism regarding his recent comments about the 2018 Australian cricket ball-tampering scandal. The 39-year-old former batsman insists his account of events does not shift blame to current squad members. He stated that the three players originally penalized are the true victims of the incident.
Khawaja, who retired from international cricket in January 2026, posted a video to Instagram on Sunday. This followed the release of an excerpt from his autobiography on Saturday. In the text, he claimed the entire Australian team knew about the use of sandpaper during the March 2018 Test match in Cape Town.
The controversy, known as Sandpapergate, began when Australia scuffed the ball with sandpaper during that match. The act triggered an integrity crisis for Cricket Australia. Captain Steve Smith, batsmen David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft were banned for their roles. Bancroft was caught with sandpaper in his pocket.
Khawaja said he wanted to explain his perspective in 2018 but was dissuaded by Smith. He noted that Smith preferred to take the lead in accepting responsibility. Khawaja also mentioned a 2021 moment when bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon publicly denied knowledge of the tampering. He held back at the time after discussions with then-coach Justin Langer.
He explained that he felt constrained while still an active member of the team. "I didn't know how to do it because I was still in the team," Khawaja said. He added that he was conscious of putting the group first before his retirement after 88 Tests.
Australia returned to South Africa in October 2026, its first visit since the 2018 incident. The team lost the three-match series 2-1. The tour brought renewed attention to the scandal and the upcoming release of Khawaja's book.
Khawaja said his goal is for the team to share the blame collectively. "For us, me included, to take the blame together as a team so we can all move on from this once and for all," he said.
