Khawaja's Book Revives Ball-Tampering Row Ahead of Perth ODI
Usman Khawaja has claimed that the whole Australia team knew about the sandpaper plot that led to the 2018 ball-tampering scandal. His autobiography, Sabr, goes on sale on 10 November, and the claims have put one of Australian cricket's most painful episodes back in the spotlight.
Ball-tampering means altering the ball's surface to help it swing. In 2018, Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera applying sandpaper to the ball during the Test in Cape Town, South Africa. Bancroft, Steve Smith and David Warner were suspended, and head coach Darren Lehmann resigned at the end of that South Africa series. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Marsh were both part of the side in Cape Town.
Khawaja now says the wider team was involved. According to the BBC, he claimed the entire team knew about the use of sandpaper in the final Test of that tour. He has also said sandpaper was used on the ball in Gqeberha, the venue of that final match.
The book runs to 448 pages and carries a recommended price of $49.99. Its title is the Arabic word for patience, and Penguin describes it as a memoir of resilience and identity. A 21-page chapter called "Sandpaper" covers the scandal in detail.
In the book, Khawaja writes that he urged his teammates to accept collective responsibility for what happened. He also alleges that two players refused to do so. He says knowledge of the tampering went beyond the three players who were banned. He further alleges that a coach encouraged Bancroft to tamper with the ball. These are Khawaja's claims, and they have not been tested in any new hearing.
Khawaja has also disputed the findings of the 2018 investigation, as Reuters reported. Speaking after the claims emerged, he said he had not "thrown anyone under the bus". Cricket Australia responded on Saturday, saying it remains comfortable with the findings of its integrity process. Former captain Mark Taylor said he was disappointed that Khawaja had chosen to revisit the incident in his book.
Cummins has said he is unfazed by what the book might reveal, according to ESPN, which reported those comments in October. Marsh is due to speak to the media on Thursday 12 November, ahead of the first one-day international in Perth on Friday 13 November. Any comment from players on the book's claims will come from those press sessions.
For casual fans, the key point is simple. The 2018 punishments covered three players, and Khawaja now says the problem reached further. Cricket Australia stands by its earlier process, and the claims remain his own until they are tested or answered by others.
