Khawaja says Australia team knew of sandpaper use; former coach disputes claim

Former Australia opener Usman Khawaja has told Nine newspapers that every player and staff member knew sandpaper was being used to alter the ball during the 2018 Cape Town Test against South Africa.

“It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us,” he said. His account challenges Cricket Australia’s finding that only three players knew about the tactic.

Television cameras caught Cameron Bancroft using sandpaper on the ball during the third Test of the series. Bancroft was banned for nine months, while captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner each received 12-month bans.

In extracts from his autobiography, *Sabr*, Khawaja also says sandpaper was used in the preceding Test in Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha. He describes dressing-room discussions and says Bancroft volunteered to use it in the first innings, according to ABC News.

Darren Lehmann, Australia’s coach at the time, told ABC Sport that he did not know sandpaper was being used and did not think everyone in the camp would have known. He said he could not confirm or deny Khawaja’s account of a discussion after the incident in which the batter urged the team to take collective responsibility, because he was not present.

The four bowlers who played in Cape Town — Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon — said in a joint statement in 2021 that they did not know a foreign substance had been taken onto the field to alter the ball until they saw footage on the big screen. They also said the umpires inspected the ball and did not replace it because there was no sign of damage. That statement preceded Khawaja’s latest account.

Before Australia’s recent South Africa tour, Cummins said he had no concerns about Khawaja’s forthcoming book. He said the investigations had been completed and the team had moved on.

Khawaja says he was not interviewed during Cricket Australia’s investigation. The governing body said relevant information could still be submitted and that it remained comfortable with the findings of its integrity process.