Usman Khawaja has doubled down on bombshell allegations that Australia’s entire cricket squad knew about the infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal, rejecting accusations he betrayed former teammates by breaking years of silence.
The retired Test batsman, who hung up his boots earlier this year after 88 matches for Australia, triggered fresh controversy over the weekend when he claimed the notorious Sandpapergate incident in Cape Town involved far more players than the three who were publicly punished and banned.
Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft took the fall for using sandpaper to alter the ball’s condition during a Test match against South Africa. All three received suspensions that rocked Australian cricket. Cricket Australia’s official investigation concluded only that trio had knowledge of the plot.
But Khawaja, set to release his autobiography this week with a full chapter on the scandal, now insists the truth is far more complicated. He alleges the tampering tactics were used in the previous Test at Port Elizabeth as well, and that collective responsibility should have been acknowledged.
Facing immediate backlash, Khawaja took to Instagram on Sunday to clarify his position and defend his timing. He insisted he was not throwing anyone under the bus, but rather highlighting that Smith, Warner, and Bancroft became scapegoats for a team-wide failure.
“When I mentioned it was all of us, that’s implying that whether we like it or not, we’re all responsible for what happened together as a team,” Khawaja wrote. “We need to take that collectively. That is all.”
The 39-year-old emphasized that the three banned players are the real victims, having endured public humiliation, crowd abuse, and being branded cheats while others escaped scrutiny.
Khawaja also pushed back against suggestions his revelations were a cynical book marketing ploy. He revealed he wanted to speak out immediately after the 2018 bans but was talked down by Smith himself, who insisted on shouldering the blame alone.
He nearly went public again in 2021 when senior bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon all publicly denied any knowledge of ball-tampering. Extensive discussions with then-coach Justin Langer convinced him to stay silent.
“Call me a chicken or whatever you want. I didn’t know how to do it because I was still in the team,” Khawaja explained. “I was always conscious of putting my team first, but I’m not in that team anymore.”
Former head coach Darren Lehmann has denied there was widespread knowledge of the tampering plan. Cricket Australia responded by saying it remains comfortable with its original investigation’s findings.
The fresh allegations have reignited one of cricket’s most damaging scandals, raising uncomfortable questions about accountability, leadership, and whether the full story was ever told. For Khawaja, the decision to finally speak appears driven by a desire to set the record straight and defend teammates who he believes were unfairly made to carry the burden alone.
