Khawaja denies throwing teammates under the bus in Sandpapergate claims
Former Australian batter Usman Khawaja defended his decision to claim the entire team was aware of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
Former Australian batter Usman Khawaja on Sunday insisted he did not "throw anyone under the bus" after claiming the entire team was aware of the 2018 Sandpapergate ball-tampering attempts. According to reports from The Times of India, Khawaja's claims surfaced in excerpts from his upcoming autobiography, Sabr, which were published by the Sydney Morning Herald.
Khawaja alleged that the controversial practice was not limited to the third Test in Cape Town but was also attempted during the preceding match in Port Elizabeth. He stated that the responsibility for what happened should be taken collectively by the team, rather than just the players who were punished.
The former opener clarified on social media that his account had been misrepresented. He said that Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft, who took the blame, were the victims of public humiliation. Khawaja denied that he waited eight years to make these claims to boost book sales, stating he refused to publish the account while the team was still in South Africa.
Khawaja also claimed that two teammates objected to his proposal for collective responsibility in the dressing room. He noted that he had previously spoken to then-head coach Justin Langer and CEO Todd Greenberg to urge the team to accept responsibility, but a joint statement was eventually only released by four bowlers.
Former Australia coach Darren Lehmann rejected Khawaja's claims, while Cricket Australia stated it was "comfortable" with the findings of its original investigation. The original probe found only Smith, Warner, and Bancroft were aware of the incident. In 2021, bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon issued a joint statement distancing themselves from the matter.