Usman Khawaja says he isn’t seeking witch hunt over ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal

Usman Khawaja’s claims have been backed by former teammate David Warne (right), who was one of the three players punished for the scandal. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Former Australia opening batter Usman Khawaja denied trying to spark a “witch hunt” over Sandpapergate, as calls grow to reopen a probe into the ball-tampering scandal.

Khawaja said in his autobiography released on Tuesday that the 2018 plot had been common knowledge throughout the team and not limited to a small number of players.

The book has reignited the debate over the cheating controversy in which Australian players were caught using sandpaper to make the ball swing against South Africa.

In a testy appearance on national broadcaster ABC on Tuesday night, Khawaja refused to name who else had prior knowledge of ball tampering in the Test series.

He said he was simply “sharing my version of the truth”.

“I’ve told my story, and I’ve told my truth,” he said. “I’m not calling for anything,” he insisted.

“All I’ve ever wanted for us is to take accountability as a team. This has never been a witch hunt for me; it’s only been those three guys who’ve had to cop this flak for a long time,” he said, referencing David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, who were sent home in disgrace after the ball tampering was exposed.

A Cricket Australia investigation found they were the only three players with prior knowledge of the plot.

‘It was all of us’

But Khawaja, who retired this year after 88 Tests, tells a different story in a chapter dedicated to the scandal in his book “Sabr”. “It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald at the weekend ahead of its release.

Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg on Tuesday ruled out reopening the investigation into the scandal, saying he did not see “any compelling reason” for a new probe.

Greenberg said he would consider Khawaja’s revelations — which were on Monday backed as “100 per cent accurate” by fellow opener David — but said there was no need for further action.

Pat Cummins, now Australia captain, and fellow bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon all denied publicly in 2021 that they knew about the plot.

Darren Lehmann, who was head coach at the time, has also denied there was widespread knowledge among the players.