Lies, secrets and shattered friendships: Inside cricket’s darkest scandal

November 14, 2026 — 5:00amThere comes a point in every major scandal where the focus is no longer about the original wrongdoing and moves instead to the damage left behind.The “Sandpapergate” affair – which roared back to life this week off the back of Usman Khawaja’s explosive new memoir alleging a cover-up – is now entering this phase.Eye on the prize: Captain Pat Cummins training in Sydney on Friday.Sam MooyThe firestorm ignited by Khawaja’s claim that “it was all of us” in the Australian dressing room who knew about the ball-tampering operation now threatens to match the scale of the original 2018 controversy.Eight years after shattering Australia’s reputation, the cheating saga has morphed into a tense stalemate of accusations, denials and innuendo over who knew what.For Khawaja and the three players punished for the offences, it is a time of reckoning and setting the record straight. For other players and staff implicated, it represents a deeply personal attack on their integrity and reputation that risks destroying lifelong relationships. And for the game’s administrators, it is a public relations nightmare that cuts directly to issues of accountability, culture and leadership.Far from a settled chapter of historical disgrace relegated to the past, the saga seems destined to continue haunting the sport until it is properly resolved.The big question hanging over Australian cricket is: how can the sport truly move on?To understand why Khawaja’s revelations have detonated with such force, it is necessary to examine the culture of Australian cricket at the time of the Cape Town Test.Recollections on this aspect of Sandpapergate are consistent: it was dominated by a “win at all costs” mentality with pressure from the top to achieve results following a five-Test losing streak in 2016.Captain Pat Cummins, who was a young bowler at the time, referenced the toxic culture at his media conference on Friday, describing an “ugly underbelly” and “arrogance” in a team that was heavily siloed.In his new memoir Sabr, Khawaja details an explicit directive allegedly delivered by a key member of the Australian coaching staff: “Guys, I don’t care what happens, but Test cricketers are too good against the straight ball. We need to get the ball shifting when it gets old. I don’t care what you have to do, or how, but we need to get it moving in the air. That’s the only chance we have.”This tinderbox environment, also marked by vicious sledging by and towards the team, provided fertile ground for the “dark arts” of ball tampering.While the use of sandpaper by Cameron Bancroft to help achieve reverse swing was greeted with shock at the time, Cummins revealed it was not unusual for sandpaper and Stanley knives to be used to rough up balls in training. He denied being aware that sandpaper was being brought onto the pitch in 2018.Pat Cummins and Usman Khawaja. Sandpapergate has tested friendships of former teammates.Getty ImagesOther known methods of ball tampering, which were said to have also been employed by rival teams, included using bottle caps, superglue and hardened fingernails.But much has changed since the public shaming of Sandpapergate’s three named culprits: captain Steve Smith; vice-captain David Warner; and Bancroft.Australian cricket has cleaned up its reputation and public image, changed its leadership and undergone a profound cultural review in the fallout.“There were many things that were shady and I think it’s much better now that a lot of that shadiness is gone,” said Cummins, who is widely credited with being a key leader of change.Khawaja’s allegations did not come as a surprise to Cricket Australia CEO Greenberg, who confirmed on Friday he has had conversations about recollections of Sandpapergate with various players over the years.“My hope is that we can retain all the friendships and relationships that have formed in Australian cricket for this generation,” he said. “They are being tested at this time.”He’s not wrong: tensions rose to boiling point on Friday. At a 70-minute press conference, Cummins dismissed Khawaja’s allegation that others on the team were aware of or orchestrated ball tampering as “complete and utter nonsense”.“Usman’s a friend, but friends aren’t casual with each other’s lives and reputations,” Cummins said. “In his book, Uzzy’s been casual with my life and the lives of many others, and I think Australian cricket.”You could almost hear the bonds of friendship splintering between Cummins and Khawaja, according to Cricket Et Al author and veteran journalist Peter Lalor, who described Cummins’ statement as “a fist in a velvet glove”.Hours later, Warner returned fire and threw his weight behind Khawaja’s account.“I actually feel that the captain today threw Uzzy under the bus, and I’m very, very disappointed about that,” he said, slamming Cricket Australia’s original inquiry as “botched”.Despite mounting pressure for a rigorous, independent investigation, Cricket Australia has consistently ruled out re-opening its inquiry.Greenberg confirmed he reviewed the original files and concluded a new investigation was not needed, a view shared by chair David Boon.David Warner appears on a Kayo Sports panel on Friday. The former opener has thrown his weight behind Khawaja’s account.AAPIMAGE“Players and staff who were in that room in 2018 do have different versions of events,” he said. “It’s understandable after eight and a half years. Re-litigating will put us back at the same intersection.”Nor will Cricket Australia publicly release the original investigation, he said, citing confidentiality grounds.Greenberg and Boon were in Bali for International Cricket Council (ICC) board meetings this week, which included consultations on governance and integrity. While Sandpapergate was not an official agenda item, it was no doubt an inescapable elephant in the room.Greenberg describes both Khawaja and Cummins as men of integrity. But it would be fair to say Cummins’ position in calling for the game to close the chapter and move on most closely reflects that of Cricket Australia.Sandpapergate’s three named culprits: Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.Fairfax Media, AAPOne of the biggest obstacles in navigating a way forward is the fact key players have painted themselves into corners with little room for manoeuvre.Khawaja, who blew the issue open by challenging the official account and implicating everyone in the dressing room, now seems unwilling to provide further evidence and open himself up to scrutiny. He cancelled most of his publicity tour for his book following an uncomfortable 7.30 interview with Sarah Ferguson.Peter Collins, who helped facilitate a player review in the aftermath of Sandpapergate, believes his allegations should be examined for credible supporting evidence.“If people are going to make public allegations, then they need to be able to have their allegations validated,” he said. “In the case of Khawaja, this can be validated by looking at his contemporaneous notes and, if they can be substantiated, go to the players but maintain an assumption of innocence.”The video image of Cameron Bancroft in Cape Town, with sandpaper in hand. Khawaja has the public backing of Warner and former teammate Chadd Sayers, but their accounts haven’t been tested either.Some like Mitch Marsh, who dodged questions about Khawaja’s allegations at a press conference, are reluctant to wade back into the affair.“My honest answer is because I’ve personally moved on, I respect that others probably haven’t, but I have, and I hope that’s respected,” he said.Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon, the four frontline bowlers whom Bancroft suggested in a Guardian interview in 2021 were aware of ball tampering, have been equally definitive in their joint denials.“We pride ourselves on our honesty,” they said in their statement. Coming back from that position would brand them liars and potentially make their roles untenable.On Friday, Cummins did concede the possibility that others on the team aside from the three found guilty may have been aware of ball tampering.Smith, Warner and Bancroft paid a heavy price for their roles, each serving bans that exceeded ICC precedents for ball tampering. The return of the scandal to the spotlight has renewed debate over whether these sanctions were overly harsh.Many in the team would agree with the late Shane Warne, who remarked in the documentary Crossing The Line, “Steve Smith’s not Pablo Escobar. You know, he made a mistake. He’s a good person. So, I think the penalties that were handed out to those three were very harsh.”But former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, whose condemnation of the ball tampering scandal in 2018 as “a terrible disgrace” was underscored by moral outrage, was not so forgiving.He told this masthead he stood by his comments, despite Khawaja accusing him in his memoir of using it “as political leverage on his already failing prime ministership”.“I’m surprised that Usman thinks the only reason this was big deal was because the prime minister said he was disappointed,” he said. “I think every Australian was disappointed. I don’t think I said anything unusual or remarkable.”Turnbull added: “If indeed Steve Smith took the blame for a lot of other people who didn’t put their hand up, others who didn’t should maybe reflect on that. They should reflect on their silence if what Khawaja says is right. I know there are some people who contest it.”Under this cloud of uncertainty, Lalor believes it is unlikely the Sandpapergate saga will ever be fully solved. “Cricket is really good at keeping secrets,” he said. “And there are no winners in this scandal.”Many of the key people who could cast some light on what really happened in 2018 refused to speak when approached for this feature.In his book, Usman dedicates the Sandpapergate chapter to Warner, Smith and Bancroft. “The truth will set you free,” he wrote.Clearly it’s not that simple, given the conflict over what the truth is in this saga. In coming weeks, it seems likely more versions may be put forward.Nevertheless, Greenberg is confident the scandal won’t impact the team’s performance in their series against England nor their upcoming Test against New Zealand.“I hope over time that we can put this episode behind us,” he said. “It’s been a very difficult chapter for a lot of people. It’s brought a lot of emotion to the surface, a lot of hurt.“It was a very dark chapter of our history. My view is we have to look to the future.”Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.From our partners