Usman Khawaja has reopened one of the most controversial chapters in Australian cricket history with fresh claims about the infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
The former Australia opener has alleged that the entire team was aware of and involved in the incident, challenging the version of events that led to lengthy bans for Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.
Khawaja has also claimed that sandpaper was used on the ball during the second Test in Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha, before Bancroft was caught using it during the third Test in Cape Town.
Speaking to Nine newspapers ahead of the release of his autobiography Sabr on Tuesday, November 10, Khawaja questioned why the responsibility for the scandal was placed on just three players.
‘It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us,’ Khawaja told Nine.
He admitted that speaking publicly about the incident was not something he wanted to do.
However, he said he had expected the complete truth to emerge over the years and felt it was time to share his account.
What happened during Australia’s 2018 Ball-Tampering Scandal?
The controversy erupted during the third Test between Australia and South Africa at Newlands in March 2018. Television cameras caught Cameron Bancroft using a piece of sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball in an attempt to generate reverse swing.
Cricket Australia’s investigation concluded that David Warner had come up with the plan, Bancroft had carried it out, and then captain Steve Smith knew about it but failed to prevent it.
All three players were sent home from the tour. Smith and Warner received 12-month bans from international and domestic cricket, while Bancroft was suspended for nine months.
Warner was also handed a lifetime leadership ban in Australian cricket, although that decision was overturned in 2024.
Khawaja has now offered a different perspective on the controversy. He believes the responsibility should have been shared across the team rather than being placed on the three players who were punished.
He also recalled asking his teammates to take collective responsibility in the dressing room after the incident.
According to Khawaja, the consequences were particularly difficult for Smith, Warner and Bancroft, who continued to carry the burden of the scandal.
Usman Khawaja questions Cricket Australia’s investigation
Khawaja has also raised questions about the investigation conducted by Cricket Australia following the incident.
He said he was never interviewed by the investigators, despite sitting next to Bancroft during the Cape Town Test.
‘I was sitting next to Cam Bancroft that whole Test match, and I didn’t get interviewed,’ Khawaja said.
The investigation was conducted by then head of integrity Iain Roy and team performance manager Pat Howard, following instructions from former Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland.
Khawaja said he had waited for investigators to contact him but never received a call before the punishments were announced.
His comments have added another layer to the debate over how thoroughly the governing body’s investigation examined the events surrounding the scandal.
Australian bowlers had earlier denied knowledge of Ball Tampering
Questions about the Australian bowlers’ awareness of the incident had also emerged in 2021. Bancroft had suggested that their knowledge of the ball-tampering episode was ‘self-explanatory’.
Following those comments, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon released a joint statement denying that they knew a foreign substance had been taken onto the field to alter the ball.
Cricket Australia has continued to stand by its original investigation. Responding to Khawaja’s latest allegations, the governing body said it remained comfortable with the findings and maintained that all relevant information presented to it had been properly considered.
Khawaja brings South Africa’s Ball-Tampering history into focus
Khawaja also discussed South Africa’s ability to generate reverse swing, claiming the hosts were better at working on the ball and that Australia were trying to keep up with them.
He indicated that his autobiography would reveal more about what he had heard regarding South Africa’s methods.
Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis had also faced sanctions on two occasions for ball-tampering-related incidents, including during a Test against Australia.
However, Khawaja’s claims about South Africa’s methods remain separate from the official findings of Cricket Australia’s 2018 investigation.
2018 Ball-Tampering Scandal back in the spotlight
Khawaja’s latest comments have brought the infamous Australian ball-tampering scandal back into the spotlight, nearly 8 years after the incident.
His account raises fresh questions about the extent of the team’s knowledge and whether Smith, Warner and Bancroft were left to shoulder responsibility for a wider issue.
Cricket Australia, however, continues to stand by its investigation. With Khawaja set to share more details in his autobiography Sabr, the controversy surrounding one of Australian cricket’s biggest scandals is once again attracting attention.