Usman Khawaja Stands Firm on His Claims Over Sandpaper Scandal

Usman Khawaja remains steadfast in his claims regarding the sandpaper scandal but has refused to single out anyone in particular. During an appearance on an Australian Broadcasting Corporation programme on Tuesday, he was asked whether Pat Cummins and the bowlers knew that sandpaper was being used to alter the condition of the ball. In response, Khawaja declined to comment on the matter. He said he wanted his former teammates to speak honestly about what happened but was not forcing anyone to do so.

“I am not on a witch-hunt against anyone. I just wanted us, as a team, to take responsibility.”

Following the incident, Cricket Australia’s investigation resulted in sanctions against only three players: Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. However, in his autobiography Sabr and through social media posts, Khawaja claimed that almost everyone in the team knew about the plan to tamper with the ball.

Khawaja’s claims have received full support from David Warner, who was among those punished for the incident. In a video message, Warner said that everything Khawaja had said was true. According to him, the investigation was concluded too quickly and the entire process was flawed. On the other hand, Mitchell Starc dismissed Khawaja’s claims, insisting that they had no knowledge of what was going to happen on the field.

The infamous incident took place on the third day of a Test match against South Africa in 2018, when Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper wrapped in yellow tape to alter the condition of the ball. During a press conference, captain Steven Smith admitted that the ball-tampering incident had taken place. Warner was identified as the mastermind behind the plan. Cricket Australia subsequently banned Smith and Warner for one year each, while Bancroft received a nine-month suspension. Smith stepped down as captain, while head coach Darren Lehmann resigned from his position. Australia also lost the Test match by 322 runs.