Khawaja defends Sandpapergate claims and denies blaming teammates
Retired Australian batter Usman Khawaja says his claim that the whole 2018 squad was involved in ball tampering was not meant to blame anyone.
Usman Khawaja has responded to the backlash over his claim that the entire Australian team was involved in the 2018 ball-tampering affair, known as Sandpapergate. He says he did not shift blame onto anybody, SA Cricket Mag reported, citing AFP.
What Khawaja originally alleged
The retired batter reopened the controversy on Saturday, shortly before his autobiography is due out this week. One chapter of the book deals with the scandal.
Khawaja said responsibility did not rest only with the three players who were later banned: Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. “It was all of us,” he said, adding that this included batters, bowlers and support staff. He also claimed the team used the same tactic in the previous Test, played at Port Elizabeth.
Reaction from Lehmann and Cricket Australia
Darren Lehmann, the head coach in 2018, rejected the idea that the plan was widely known. Cricket Australia said it was “comfortable” with the conclusions of its original investigation, which found that only Smith, Warner and Bancroft knew about it.
Khawaja’s response on Instagram
In a long Instagram post on Sunday, Khawaja said he was speaking about shared responsibility. In his words, “I haven’t thrown anyone under the bus.” He said that by saying everyone was involved, he meant the whole group should accept collective accountability for what happened.
He argued that the current players and others on the South African tour, himself included, were not the victims. In his view the three banned players were, because they absorbed the blame for the group and faced abuse from crowds and public humiliation.
Why he waited eight years
Khawaja, who is 39 and retired this year after 88 Tests, rejected suggestions that he was promoting his book. He said he first wanted to speak out in 2018, once the three players were suspended, but Smith persuaded him against it because he wanted to carry the blame himself.
He said he nearly spoke up again in 2021, when Australia’s four main bowlers publicly denied knowing about the tampering. After lengthy discussions with Justin Langer, then the coach, he stayed silent.
After returning to the national side in 2022, Khawaja said he never felt comfortable raising the matter while still a player. “Call me a chicken or whatever you want,” he said, explaining that he wanted to put the team first and was no longer part of it.
What happens next
His autobiography is due out this week, so more detail on his version of events may follow. Cricket Australia has so far kept to its earlier findings, and the claims remain Khawaja’s own account.
This story is based on reporting by SA Cricket Mag.
