Usman Khawaja has asserted that the entire Australia touring party was aware of the scheme to tamper with the cricket ball during the 2018 Test series against South Africa, and that the team employed sandpaper on the ball before Cameron Bancroft was caught handling the object on camera. According to The Guardian, the former Test opener made these revelations ahead of the publication of his autobiography Sabr on Tuesday, 10 November 2026.
The claims directly challenge Cricket Australia's official findings from 2018, which determined that only Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft possessed prior knowledge of the tampering plot in Cape Town. Smith and Warner received 12-month suspensions for their involvement, while Bancroft was handed a nine-month ban. According to Fox Sports Australia, Khawaja has alerted Pat Cummins and Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg to his book's contents before its release.
In his memoir, Khawaja dedicates the chapter addressing the scandal to Bancroft, Warner and Smith.
"It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us,"Khawaja states in the book, according to Nine newspapers.
"In an ideal world, I don't want to do this. I don't want to be the one who comes out and talks about the truth. The issue is that I genuinely thought after eight years the truth would have been out by now."
Khawaja explained that he had consistently advocated for collective responsibility from the outset.
"Maybe I thought Davey would have exposed it, or someone else would have talked about it more. I just didn't think it was going to come down to this,"he says.
"But the longer it's gone on for, and right from the very start, I've been on the train of collectively taking it. We did this as a team. We knew what was going on, and we have to take it as a team, and so I was always of that stance. Obviously, it didn't work that way, and those three guys got crucified."
How did the tampering scheme unfold?
According to Khawaja's account, Bancroft first volunteered to use sandpaper on the ball during the second Test at Port Elizabeth, now known as Gqeberha. The plan subsequently unravelled when television cameras captured Bancroft handling the yellow object while on the field during the third Test at Newlands in Cape Town. Khawaja noted that Smith withdrew from discussions about ball tampering in the dressing room at Port Elizabeth, creating the appearance that he wished to remain uninformed about the proceedings.
What is Cricket Australia's response?
Cricket Australia has maintained its position throughout the eight years since the 2018 investigation, insisting that only Bancroft, Warner and Smith were involved in the ball tampering plot.
"There has been a great deal of speculation in the eight years since the 2018 Cape Town Test, including extensive media coverage throughout last month's series in South Africa,"a CA spokesperson stated.
"During this time there has been the ongoing opportunity to present any relevant information, and this remains the case. All relevant information presented to CA to date has been properly considered and we remain comfortable with the findings of our integrity process."
In 2021, several players publicly denied knowledge of the scheme. Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon issued statements refuting involvement after Bancroft had told the Guardian that the tampering was
"probably self-explanatory."Cummins reiterated this position ahead of Australia's recent tour of South Africa.
"It's obviously a long time ago,"the Australia Test captain said last month.
"All the investigations, everything was done back then. Answered every question a million times. It was dealt with then, all I can say is as a group we've moved on."
What does the broader context reveal?
The timing of Khawaja's revelations coincides with Australia's return to South Africa for a Test series, marking the first engagement between the nations since the 2018 scandal. According to BBC Sport, Cricket Australia's 2018 review cleared coach Darren Lehmann of wrongdoing, focusing sanctions solely on the three players. The scandal has remained a contentious issue in Australian cricket, with fundamental questions about the full extent of team knowledge persisting despite the passage of time.
Khawaja's decision to address the matter publicly reflects his frustration with the incomplete resolution of the controversy. His memoir, which also reveals that he concealed a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis throughout his Test career to avoid being undermined by opponents, presents a more comprehensive account of his experiences within the Australian cricket system. The publication of Sabr on 10 November 2026 is expected to reignite debate about accountability and transparency in the sport.
What happens next?
Khawaja's autobiography Sabr is scheduled for release on Tuesday, 10 November 2026. The book's publication will provide the full context of his claims regarding the ball-tampering scandal and his broader reflections on his cricket career. Cricket Australia has indicated it remains open to receiving additional information but has given no indication it intends to reopen its investigation into the matter.
