He promised Warner I’d tell the truth: Khawaja prevents Sandpapergate rekindling

Former Australian Test cricketer Usman Khawaja has responded to the media response to his Sandpapergate revelations in his upcoming autobiography, Sabr. Khawaja’s account of the infamous 2018 tour of South Africa, in which he claimed the ball-tampering episode was a collective failure of the Australian team, sparked considerable debate in the cricketing fraternity.

While some credited Khawaja for being open about what happened during the controversial tour, others accused him of throwing his former teammates under the bus by suggesting that the entire Australian team was aware of discussions about changing the condition of the ball to aid reverse swing.

In a two-part video on Instagram, Khawaja responded to his book, insisting he never intended to single anyone out. He also claimed that Steve Smith, Cameron Bancroft and his childhood friend David Warner were the real victims of the scandal as they shouldered the blame for the incident which he said was the team’s responsibility.

Khawaja also revealed that he had tried to clear up Australia’s involvement on two separate occasions, first after the 2018 Cape Town Test and then again in 2021. However, his attempts to take the matter public were unsuccessful, with the former batsman admitting that he did not know how to deal with the issue when he was still part of the Australian dressing room. Usman Khawaja retired from international cricket in January 2026. (Photo by Reuters)

KHWAJA BACK TO MEDIA PROCESSING

Khawaja began by addressing the headlines surrounding his revelation, claiming his remarks on collective responsibility had been misrepresented. He clarified that his reference to everyone involved was about accepting responsibility as a team, rather than claiming to speak for each individual in his book.

“It’s time to get some facts straight because the media is taking us to the moon as expected.

“I was quiet yesterday, but number one, if you read my article, you would have seen that when I mentioned that it was all of us, I was implying that whether we like it or not, we are all responsible for what happened together. As a team, we have to take it collectively. That’s it.”

“But now that everyone’s talking, am I going to deny that everyone knew? No, I’m not even going to deny it. But I never speak for anyone else in my book, contrary to what you might think from the clickbait media headlines. Read it yourself. I’ll post it.”

KHWAJA WANTED TO COME TO CLEAN

One of the biggest revelations of Khawaja’s video was that he considered speaking publicly about Australia’s involvement in the ball-tampering scandal much earlier.

He claimed to have documented everything that happened during the Cape Town Test a few days after the incident. Khawaja also revealed that he approached Steve Smith after the other players received their punishments in the hope of publicizing the team’s collective involvement.

However, Smith, who was captaining Australia at the time, reportedly convinced him not to go ahead with the plan. Khawaja said Smith wanted to take responsibility for the incident and was unwilling to change his position despite being challenged by his teammate.

“Now the only other thing that I think is really relevant and that I want to talk about is the question: why now?

“Well, because I tried to take it as a team from the beginning. You can believe my story or not, but the fact is that I wrote down everything that happened a few days after Cape Town. So you can dispute my story, no problem. But my memory, I’m not so sure about that.”

“When the other guys got their punishments, I told Smudge I was going to tell the media. I couldn’t believe the punishments they got. But Smudge, being the man and leader he was, talked me out of it. You can read it. It’s in my book. He wanted to take the blame. I argued with him, but he was having none of it. That was the first time.”

KHWAJ ATTEMPT 2021

Khawaja claimed that he tried again to clarify the matter in 2021 when the Sandpapergate controversy resurfaced. He revealed he spent hours speaking to former Australia coach Justin Langer, urging him to take collective responsibility for what happened in Cape Town.

Khawaja also contacted the CEO of the Australian Cricketers’ Association, Todd Greenberg, in the hope of finding a way to resolve the issue. However, his plans were derailed after the Australian bowling group issued a statement distancing itself from the ball-tampering episode.

The statement came during a renewed inquest into the Cape Town Test, with Australia’s bowlers insisting they had no knowledge of the use of a foreign substance to alter the condition of the ball until the footage appeared on the big screen at Newlands.

The bowling group also pointed to the fact that the umpires, Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth, inspected the ball after the incident came to light but did not change it because there were no visible signs of damage. The bowlers accepted that what happened on the field was wrong, but rejected suggestions that they must have known about the use of sandpaper simply because they were part of the bowling attack.

They also asked for an end to what they described as rumors and innuendo surrounding their involvement.

Khawaja said the statement left him unwilling to pursue the matter as he did not want to go to war with his teammates.

“So again, in 2021, it reared its ugly head and I called JL again for hours on the phone. ‘Come on, JL, let’s do it together. Do it as a team. We’ve got another chance. We can finally take it, squeeze it once and for all.’

“I got on the phone with Todd Greenberg, who was also the CEO of the ACA at the time. He’s with our players’ union. But then there was this statement from the guys and, basically, what could I do? I didn’t go to war with those guys then. I wasn’t comfortable with it. That’s the truth.”

WHY DIDN’T KHWAJA SPEAK WHILE PLAYING

Khawaja also explained why he remained silent in the four years that followed the 2021 episode. He admitted he was reluctant to become the first Australian player to speak publicly about the scandal while still part of the team.

According to the former batsman, his biggest fear was that whatever he said might influence the dressing room. He pointed to his public comments about Palestine in 2023 as an example of how he was aware of the potential impact of his individual actions on the Australian team.

Khawaja said he even approached captain Pat Cummins before speaking publicly on the matter and offered to withdraw his comments if they could affect the team. However, Cummins encouraged him to continue.

“Then you ask why I didn’t say anything for the four years after that when I was still playing? You know what? I never wanted to be the first one to talk about it. Call me chicken or whatever you want. I didn’t know how to do it because I was still on the team. How was I supposed to bring it up when I knew some of my teammates didn’t want to talk about it?”

“Because I knew that everything I did or said always affected and affected the team. I knew that even when I was talking about the Palestinians in 2023. The first day the story broke, I saw Patty in the hotel and I said, ‘Patty, I’m an Australian cricketer first and foremost. If you want me to stop, I’m going to stop now.’ I promise I’ll stop.”

“And to his credit, he looked at me and said, ‘It’s none of our business. Can you believe that? Go ahead.’ And I appreciate that.

“I’ve always been aware of putting my team first, but I’m not on that team anymore. What I’m saying now is not a reflection of them and my words don’t affect the team at all. I’m speaking for myself.”

WHY NOW?

Khawaja also rejected suggestions that he timed the revelations in his autobiography to generate publicity and boost book sales. He claimed he deliberately waited until Australia’s recent tour of South Africa was over before publishing his account.

The former batsman revealed that he contacted Cummins before publishing the revelations and reiterated that he did not want his book to become a distraction for the Australian team while they were in South Africa.

“But I still refused to publish any of it while the guys were still in South Africa. That’s why I called Pat. Why would someone who really wanted to increase sales of their books turn down the biggest marketing opportunity they had? Literally the biggest. My book would be the talk of the world during that series. But that was never my goal. I was waiting for it to be over.”

“WARNER, SMITH, BRANCROFT ARE VICTIMS”

However, Khawaja’s strongest defense was reserved for the three players who bore the brunt of the scandal’s aftermath. He insisted that Smith, Warner and Bancroft were the true victims of the episode, arguing that the trio had endured years of public humiliation while the rest of the team had largely moved on.

The former Australian opener admitted that the incident took a toll on him as well, revealing that he had sleepless nights and even had doubts about whether he would be able to return to the dressing room. However, he argued that the three players faced a level of public scrutiny that the others involved had not experienced.

Khawaja also claimed to have spoken to all three players about the impact of the scandal, with Bancroft and Warner particularly affected by how their lives have turned out since 2018.

“And you know what? I didn’t throw anyone under the bus. The guys that are in the team right now and the other people that were there on the South Africa tour, including you, including me, we’re not victims. These three guys took the blame for all of us. They’re victims.”

“Yes, it was hard for everyone, including me. I also had sleepless nights. I told Rachel and Justin Langer, ‘I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to go back to the locker room.’ But these three have had to put up with it for the past eight years. why? People who tell them they are frauds are nailed by the mob, public humiliation. None of us had to deal with it.

“And I’m glad everyone else has moved on, but I promise you these guys haven’t. How could they if the truth never came out? And I know because they told me.”

“Bancroft told me at length how hard the last month has been, watching the teams in Africa and dealing with everything. Davey has had to deal with his family for eight years. And Smudge, I don’t think he wants to talk about it anymore.”

Khawaja then revealed that his decision to speak publicly was also driven by a personal promise he made to Warner. The two shared a long friendship and Khawaja said he wanted to ensure his childhood friend had the opportunity to tell his side of the story.

He insisted he had no regrets about making the revelations, saying his position had always been about ensuring collective accountability rather than shifting blame from one individual to another.

“But ultimately, and most importantly, I promised my childhood friend, David Warner, that I would tell the truth so he could tell his story. I am absolutely, 100 percent unapologetic about that.”

“I have stood up for all cricketers in the past, in the ACA I fought for what I thought was right. This is no different. These three guys deserve justice.

“And I didn’t point the finger at anyone. I’m still looking for what I was looking for all those years ago: for us, myself included, to take the blame together as a team so we can move on from this once and for all.

“And you know what? I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’ve always been conscious of putting the team first.”

– The end