Khawaja's Sandpapergate claims divide Australian cricket as fresh inquiry ruled out

Usman Khawaja's autobiography, Sabr, has reopened a dispute over how widely Australia's 2018 ball-tampering scheme was known within the team. His claim is that the entire dressing room knew, according to Sky Sports.

The scandal concerned Australia's use of sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball during the 2018 South Africa tour, the BBC reported. Khawaja's account challenges the idea that knowledge of the scheme was confined to a few players. It remains contested, not an agreed account of what happened.

The delay in speaking publicly has become part of the argument. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Khawaja said he was ready to share his recollections in 2021 but did not want to "go to war" with Australia's bowlers, who had denied knowing about the plan.

On November 8, Khawaja defended his decision to speak out, saying he had not "thrown anyone under the bus", Sky Sports reported. He also rejected suggestions that the revelations were a marketing ploy to sell his book, according to Al Jazeera. Former Australia coach Darren Lehmann denied Khawaja's claims of widespread knowledge, Express & Star reported that day.

On November 9, David Warner gave Khawaja emphatic backing. The former Test vice-captain said it was "100% accurate" that every player knew about the sandpaper plot and offered his "full support", according to the Guardian. His intervention turned Khawaja's account into a public position shared by another member of that team.

Cricket Australia nevertheless ruled out reopening the investigation. On November 9, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that CA chief Todd Greenberg supported Khawaja's right to tell his version but said it did not match what some other team members said. ABC Australia also reported his decision against a new inquiry.

On November 10, Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc denied any prior knowledge of the scheme, according to Sky Sports. The book also widened the period under scrutiny: The Times reported Khawaja's allegation that Australia had tampered with the ball during the 2017-18 Ashes, before the South Africa scandal.

By November 11, the disagreement had sharpened around Lehmann. ABC Australia reported that Warner agreed with a comment from Chris Broad suggesting the former Australian coach had got away lightly over the scandal. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Warner had criticised Lehmann for downplaying his knowledge of events.

There is no fresh Cricket Australia inquiry planned. Greenberg said the organisation was comfortable with the outcome of its investigation, according to Al Jazeera. That leaves a clear split in the public accounts: Khawaja and Warner describe widespread knowledge, while Starc denies prior knowledge and Lehmann rejects Khawaja's broader claim.

Khawaja has also stepped back from further promotional interviews. On November 11, the Times of India reported that he had cancelled his remaining media interviews for Sabr after a challenging interview with Sarah Ferguson about the scandal.

The unresolved issue is who knew what before the ball was tampered with. Warner's support strengthens Khawaja's public position, but it does not settle the conflicting accounts. Cricket Australia's refusal to reopen the case means those disagreements are not set to be examined through a fresh inquiry.