Whole Australia team knew of sandpaper use – Khawaja

Former Australia batter Usman Khawaja has claimed the entire team knew about the plan to tamper with the ball using sandpaper during the 2018 Test series against South Africa. In extracts from his autobiography, Sabr, published by the Sydney Morning Herald, Khawaja stated that open discussions about using sandpaper began in the dressing room during the second Test in Port Elizabeth.

The 2018 Cape Town incident resulted in bans for Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft. Bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon have consistently denied any prior knowledge, while Khawaja argued the team should have taken collective responsibility instead of only three players being punished.