Former Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has dropped a bombshell in a newly excerpted autobiography, revealing that discussions regarding ball-tampering during Australia’s 2018 tour of South Africa were far more widespread across the squad than Cricket Australia’s official investigation established.
The "Sandpapergate" controversy, centred around Australian players scuffing the ball with sandpaper during the March 2018 Test in Cape Town, triggered a major controversy for the governing body.
In an official statement released on Saturday, Cricket Australia mounted a defence of its 2018 inquiry, which found that only three players – Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft – were knew about the plot in advance.
However, in extracts from his book published by the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday, Khawaja claimed that squad members engaged in "open, light-hearted discussions" throughout the South Africa series regarding tactics to alter the condition of the ball, including the use of sandpaper.
He explained that these conversations were not isolated to the batters, the bowling unit, or backroom staff, but were shared across the entire dressing room.
"It was all of us," wrote Khawaja, a former top-order batsman who made 88 Test appearances for Australia, as quoted by the newspaper.
Khawaja was entirely cleared of any wrongdoing by the investigation and officially announced his retirement this January. Following the 2018 inquiry, Cricket Australia handed lengthy suspensions and sanctions to Smith, Warner, and Bancroft. Head coach Darren Lehmann was absolved of direct involvement, though he chose to resign shortly after the conclusion of the series.
Revisiting the matter on Saturday, Cricket Australia said: "All relevant information presented to CA to date has been properly considered and we remain comfortable with the findings of our integrity process."
The organisation added: "There has been the ongoing opportunity to present any relevant information, and this remains the case."
Australian Test captain Pat Cummins, one of the frontline bowlers who featured in the infamous Cape Town match, dismissed suggestions earlier this month that Khawaja’s autobiography would create fresh fallout upon publication.
South Africa went on to win the four-match Test series 3-1 in 2018. Australia's Test squad returned to South Africa last month for the first time since the incident, falling to a 2-1 defeat in the three-match contest.
