Usman Khawaja's promotional book tour has undergone "adjustments" following a tense television appearance in which the former Australia Test batter declined to elaborate on allegations made in his newly published memoir. According to The Guardian, Khawaja withdrew from several radio and television commitments on Wednesday, though his publisher Penguin confirmed the tour would continue with modifications to this week's schedule.
The changes came after an uncomfortable exchange with veteran journalist Sarah Ferguson on the ABC's 7.30 Report on Tuesday evening, where Ferguson pressed Khawaja repeatedly about claims in his book Sabr regarding knowledge of ball tampering during Australia's 2018 tour of South Africa. Penguin stated that "the book tour is 100[%] still going ahead, we've just had to make some adjustments this week, but no major cancellation of the tour at all," while also indicating that Khawaja would participate in further interviews about the book despite the schedule changes.
The controversy centres on Khawaja's assertion in Sabr that "all" members of the Australian team were aware of the plot to doctor the ball using sandpaper. During the interview, Ferguson sought confirmation about whether players including Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon had been involved in conversations about the tampering scheme. Khawaja refused to engage with these specific questions.
"I'm just not going to entertain that," Khawaja said. "And I say that for one reason: I wrote [the details] in my book because it was a safe space for me to write. It took a long time to, first, write the chapter … and go over it and work out a way that it was as balanced as possible."
Ferguson also questioned whether current Test captain Cummins had prior knowledge that sandpaper was being used to alter the ball's surface. Again, Khawaja declined to provide specifics.
"I'm not going to answer that. I've written what I've written in my book," he said. "I've come out and stood by those guys [Warner, Smith and Bancroft] and told my account of what I saw. I've been very clear … there are instances when I talk about 'us' and 'them', but I've been very clear in not naming names and staying out of it. I'm not going to start now."
Khawaja emphasised that his intentions were not to initiate a witch hunt against teammates, noting his personal relationships with several of the bowlers in question.
"You've got to remember [that] Pat Cummins is a good friend of mine. Mitchell Starc, a lot of these guys [are and] other players in the team [are too]. I'm not here to go on a witch hunt. All I've ever wanted is for us to take accountability as a team."
What do the bowlers say?
The four frontline bowlers from the Cape Town Test issued a joint statement in 2021 denying any knowledge of the tampering scheme. "We did not know a foreign substance was taken onto the field to alter the condition of the ball until we saw the images on the big screen at Newlands," the statement read. However, Mitchell Starc has publicly rejected Khawaja's account, saying his recollection had not changed and that he had no prior knowledge of ball tampering. Starc also stated he had not known of any tampering incident during the preceding Test at Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha, which Khawaja's book alleges also involved ball manipulation.
In contrast, David Warner backed Khawaja's account, calling it "100 per cent accurate". When Ferguson referenced Warner's support during the interview, Khawaja declined to speak on his behalf.
"I've tried my best to tell my story in an open and safe environment," he said. "There's no easy way to do it, but I mean, I'm not here to inflame the situation any more. I was here to tell my truth, what I saw, what I felt, and to stick with those three guys [Warner, Smith and Bancroft] that were made out to be the only people who have taken it. I wanted that to be shown."
What does Khawaja's book reveal?
Sabr, published on Tuesday, contains several allegations beyond the claim of widespread team knowledge. According to the book, a coach told Cameron Bancroft, "Whatever you're doing, we need more of it," regarding his ball-tampering activities. Khawaja also alleged that Victoria was especially adept at ball tampering in Sheffield Shield cricket, though Scott Boland rejected the claim that he knew of such practices.
Will the investigation be reopened?
Cricket Australia said it would not reopen its initial investigation into the scandal as there was "no compelling reason" to do so. The original inquiry, which followed the 2018 South Africa tour, attributed knowledge of the plot to Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, who were subsequently sanctioned. The three remain the only players formally disciplined for the incident.
What happens next?
Pat Cummins is expected to speak to the media in the coming days and weeks regarding the allegations. The controversy continues to overshadow Australian cricket as the team navigates fresh scrutiny over the eight-year-old scandal that has been reignited by Khawaja's memoir.
