Usman Khawaja sandpaper revelations South Africa 2018 tour, Digi Mart USA News: As a shattered Australian cricket team traveled to Johannesburg after the sandpaper scandal at Newlands in 2018, Usman Khawaja decided to write down what he had seen and heard. With the support of his wife-to-be Rachel, he compiled contemporaneous notes on his laptop at the team’s Sandton hotel, paying close attention to the sequence of events that differed from an official investigation.
That investigation concluded that only David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft had prior knowledge of the plan to use sandpaper on the ball in Cape Town. Cricket Australia banned Warner and Smith for 12 months and Bancroft for nine months.
Smith was told he could not captain Australia again for at least two years, while Warner was told he would never be permitted to lead Australia.
Eight years later, Khawaja has spoken about his memoir Sabr, in which he says he has chosen to reveal the truth about the tour. He says sandpaper was first discussed and used by the team during the previous Test in Port Elizabeth, now known as Gqeberha.
“It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff.
All of us,” he said.
In 2021, bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon issued a statement denying any knowledge of a foreign substance being taken onto the field to alter the condition of the ball. Khawaja says he spoke passionately in the dressing room after the game, urging the team to take collective responsibility rather than blaming Warner, Smith and Bancroft.
“In an ideal world, I don’t want to do this,” Khawaja said. “I genuinely thought after eight years the truth would have been out by now.” He said he has long believed the team should share the blame and that the three players were “crucified” while others stayed silent.
He dedicated the sandpaper chapter of his book to Warner, Smith and Bancroft.
Khawaja said he believed the South African players were better at working on the ball and that Australian teams had long used other methods to manipulate it, such as saliva from lollies or deliberately landing the ball on the rough side. He said Cricket Australia’s investigation was limited to day three at Newlands and that he was never interviewed despite sitting beside Bancroft throughout the match.
Khawaja said he delayed publication so it would not affect Australia’s first Test tour of South Africa since 2018, which Australia lost 2-1. He said he informed Cummins and Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg beforehand.
He acknowledged that his account could strain relationships with former teammates, saying, “I know it’s the truth. We finally have an opportunity to move past this once and for all.
Together.”
Sabr, published by Penguin Random House, will be available from November 10.
