Khawaja: Made promise to Warner I’d say the truth

Usman Khawaja revealed that a promise to David Warner was a primary factor behind speaking out about the 2018 ball-tampering scandal. Defending extracts from his autobiography Sabr on Instagram, Khawaja stated that Warner, Steven Smith, and Cameron Bancroft were victims who took the blame for the entire team, arguing that collective responsibility should have been shared by all members present during the South Africa tour.

Khawaja explained that he previously attempted to go public twice. He was first dissuaded by Smith immediately following the Cape Town Test and later felt unable to speak out after Australian bowlers issued a joint statement in 2021. Khawaja added that he refrained from addressing the issue while playing to avoid disrupting the team.