Former Australian opener's Usman Khawaja's autobiography, *Sabr*, has brought fresh attention to Australia's infamous ball-tampering scandal, popularly known as Sandpapergate.
Khawaja has shared previously unknown details about the incident during the 2018 Test series against South Africa, including how the team allegedly used sandpaper and what happened behind the scenes after the controversy came to light.
In his book, Khawaja claimed that the entire Australian team knew about the ball-tampering and the use of sandpaper during the series.
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His revelations have reignited discussions around one of the biggest controversies in Australian cricket over the past decade, particularly regarding the involvement of players and the silence that followed.
"I personally never tampered with a ball - in terms of scratching it or anything - but I knew everything that was going on and I wasn't against it, which makes me complicit," Khawaja wrote.
How The Ball-Tampering Happened
Khawaja has detailed how sandpaper was used to tamper with the ball during the series against South Africa. He claimed that the practice had taken place during the second Test in Port Elizabeth and was not limited to the third Test in Cape Town, where the incident was caught on camera.
"We all knew that the umpire would drop the ball on the boundary as we went out onto the field. At that point, there'd be no cameras on us and the umpires would be about 100 metres ahead. We could then do whatever we wanted. Straightaway, Bull (David Warner) said, 'Well, I can't do it - they're all over me.' I was never going to do it, nor did I think anyone else would. So I just laughed. Then, Cameron Bancroft, who was only six games into his Test career and maybe wanting to fit in, said, 'I'll do it.'
"When something becomes so prevalent - like doping was in the Tour de France for years - it's hard not to join in. Compete, or be left behind. Not that it makes it right," Khawaja wrote.
"The next session, we absolutely went through the South Africans. Every time during the session the ball was passed to me at gully, I'd take a look and think, 'Wow, even I could reverse swing this ball'. I know what you're probably thinking right now. Didn't you guys get caught in Cape Town, not Port Elizabeth? Yes, we did, but who said we didn't do it the game before as well?" Khawaja further wrote.
The controversy came to light during the Cape Town Test in March 2018, when Cameron Bancroft was seen rubbing the ball with a piece of sandpaper. The footage was shown on the stadium's big screen, exposing the ball-tampering attempt.
Getting Caught And The Aftermath
Khawaja also recalled the Australian team's reaction when they saw footage of Bancroft rubbing the ball with sandpaper on the big screen. The incident triggered a major controversy and had serious consequences for the players involved.
"Every one of the boys on the field then was sh****ng themselves. And Bangers (Bancroft) was the worst.Then on the big screen came the biggest shock. It showed Cameron taking the sandpaper and putting it in his undies. By this stage, we knew: we'd f****d up and f****d up hard," said Khawaja.
The former opener, who retired from international cricket earlier this year, expressed sympathy for Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, who bore the brunt of the blame following the scandal.
"This was the most disappointing part for me. I knew who those two guys were, and it was ludicrous that, out of everyone, it was them. It showed me their true colours, though. When the going got tough, all they cared about was themselves. But I wasn't going to stop fighting this cause. CA did a pretty unthorough investigation after that. It was almost as if they didn't want to find out the whole truth," said Khawaja wrote.
"I still don't think it's right that those three boys copped all of the brunt. Their lives were turned upside down, and the psychological impact will remain with them forever. Unless I speak up about it, they'll continue to have to hold the burden. It's very clear I knew what was going on. I just want to say sorry to the three guys. We let you down.
However, Khawaja also expressed shock at how some of his teammates distanced themselves from the incident. According to him, two people were not in favour of the team taking collective responsibility for what had happened.
Khawaja's Message For David Warner
Khawaja also shared a personal message for his long-time friend and former opening partner David Warner. His comments reflected his sympathy for Warner, who, along with Smith and Bancroft, faced significant consequences following the scandal.
"But mostly to the guy who copped the lion's share of the blame, my good friend David. You shouldn't have to carry this your whole life. Over the years, you've suffered more insults than anyone about this. You were not the architect. We were all the architects," he said.
The autobiography also recounts another incident in which a player allegedly refused to take accountability for what had happened, adding another dimension to Khawaja's account of the team's response.
"One of the bowlers went on 'The Back Page' TV show and was asked point-blank if he'd known anything about the ball tampering. He flat out denied it. David was seething, and understandably so. I remember him texting me and sending the clip. He listened to what I had to say, and when I finished my rant he just looked at me and said, 'Uzzy, unfortunately, this affects everyone, mate, not just you. You can come out and say all this stuff, but will it really help anything? The punishments have already been handed down. If anything, it would only make things worse'," Khawaja revealed.
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What Australia's Bowlers Said About Sandpapergate
While Khawaja has since retired from international cricket, several players who were part of the Australian Test squad during the 2018 South Africa series remain active.
Australia's bowling group, comprising Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon, had collectively denied having any knowledge of the ball-tampering incident in a statement issued in 2021.
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