‘I haven’t thrown anyone under the bus’: Usman Khawaja defends timing of ball-tampering revelations
Australian batsman Usman Khawaja has broken years of silence over the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, revealing in his upcoming memoir *Sabr* that the entire team was involved—and that three players were unfairly made public scapegoats. Khawaja, who claims he initially planned to expose the truth days after the incident but was persuaded against it by Steve Smith, says he later tried to ensure collective responsibility in 2021, only for bowlers to deny involvement.
His new disclosures allege that Cameron Bancroft applied sandpaper to a ball in the second Test at St George’s Park, with the tactic escalating in Cape Town’s third Test after a coaching staff member allegedly encouraged further tampering. Khawaja also accused Smith, David Warner, and Bancroft of taking the fall for the team, enduring public humiliation while others avoided blame—including himself and teammates still active in the squad today.
In a two-part Instagram post, Khawaja detailed how Smith convinced him to stay silent in 2018, insisting he would accept the punishment alone. The batsman said he had promised Warner years earlier to reveal the full story post-retirement, arguing that the three suspended players were the ‘victims’ of a cover-up.
His memoir extracts confirm Bancroft’s role in the scandal, which was caught on camera and led to suspensions, while Khawaja insists the tampering was known by the entire team and extended beyond the initial changeroom use. The revelations come as *Sabr* prepares for release, adding fresh layers to one of cricket’s most controversial episodes.
