Promised Warner that I would tell the truth: Khawaja on Sandpapergate claims

Usman Khawaja has revealed that he tried to expose Australia's collective involvement in Sandpapergate as early as 2018, but was talked out of it by Steve Smith. He also explained why he finally decided to speak up in his upcoming autobiography, Sabr.Former Australian Test cricketer Usman Khawaja has hit back at the media reaction to his Sandpapergate revelations in his upcoming autobiography, Sabr. Khawaja's account of the infamous 2018 South Africa tour, in which he claimed that the ball-tampering episode was a collective failure involving the Australian team, has sparked considerable debate in the cricket fraternity.While some have credited Khawaja for being open about what transpired during the controversial tour, others have accused him of throwing his former teammates under the bus by suggesting that the entire Australian team was aware of the discussions around altering the condition of the ball to aid reverse swing.In a two-part video on Instagram, Khawaja addressed the reaction to his book, insisting that he had never intended to single out anyone. He also maintained that Steve Smith, Cameron Bancroft and his childhood friend David Warner were the real victims of the scandal, having shouldered the blame for an incident in which, according to him, the responsibility was shared by the team.Khawaja also revealed that he had tried to come clean about Australia's involvement on two separate occasions, first in the aftermath of the 2018 Cape Town Test and then again in 2021. However, his attempts to bring the matter into the open were unsuccessful, with the former batter admitting that he did not know how to address the issue while he was still part of the Australian dressing room. Usman Khawaja retired from international cricket in January 2026. (Reuters Photo) KHWAJA HITS BACK AT MEDIA COVERAGEKhawaja began by addressing the headlines surrounding his revelations, arguing that his comments about collective responsibility had been misrepresented. He clarified that his reference to everyone being involved was about accepting responsibility as a team, rather than claiming to speak on behalf of every individual in his book."Time to clear some facts, because the media is taking us to the moon, as expected. "I stayed quiet yesterday, but number one, if you read my article, you would have seen that when I mentioned it was all of us, I was implying that, whether we like it or not, we're all responsible for what happened together. As a team, we need to take that collectively. That is all."But now that everyone's talking, am I going to deny that everyone knew? No, I won't deny that either. But I never speak on behalf of anyone else in my book, contrary to what the clickbait media headlines would have you think. Have a read yourself. I'll put it up."KHWAJA WANTED TO COME CLEANOne of the biggest revelations from Khawaja's video was that he had considered speaking publicly about Australia's involvement in the ball-tampering scandal much earlier.He claimed that he had documented everything that happened during the Cape Town Test a few days after the incident. Khawaja also revealed that he had approached Steve Smith after the other players received their punishments, hoping to make the team's collective involvement public.However, Smith, who was Australia's captain at the time, reportedly persuaded him against going ahead with the plan. Khawaja said Smith wanted to take responsibility for the incident and was unwilling to change his position despite being challenged by his teammate."Now, the only other thing that I think is really relevant, and which I want to talk about, is the question: why now?"Well, because I've been trying to take this as a team right from the start. You can believe my story or not, but the fact is, I wrote everything that happened down a few days after Cape Town. So you can question my story, no issue. But my memory, I'm not so sure about that."When the other guys got their penalties, I told Smudge that I was going to come clean to the media. I couldn't believe the penalties they got. But Smudge, being the man and the leader he was, talked me out of it. You can read it. It's in my book. He wanted to take the blame. I argued with him, but he was having none of it. That's the first time I tried to come out."KHWAJA'S 2021 ATTEMPTKhawaja claimed that he made another attempt to bring the matter into the open in 2021, when the Sandpapergate controversy resurfaced. He revealed that he spent hours speaking to former Australia coach Justin Langer, urging him to take collective responsibility for what had happened in Cape Town.Khawaja also contacted then Australian Cricketers' Association chief executive Todd Greenberg, hoping to find a way to address the issue. However, his plans were derailed after Australia's bowling group issued a statement distancing themselves from the ball-tampering episode.The statement had come amid renewed scrutiny of the Cape Town Test, with Australia's bowlers insisting that they had no knowledge of the use of a foreign substance to alter the condition of the ball until the footage appeared on the big screen at Newlands.The bowling group also pointed to the fact that the umpires, Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth, had inspected the ball after the incident came to light but had not changed it because there was no visible sign of damage. While acknowledging that what had happened on the field was wrong, the bowlers rejected suggestions that they must have known about the use of sandpaper simply because they were part of the bowling attack.They also requested an end to what they described as rumours and innuendo surrounding their involvement.Khawaja said the statement left him unwilling to take the matter further, as he did not want to go to war with his teammates."So again, in 2021, it reared its ugly head, and I once again called JL on the phone for hours. 'Come on, JL, let's take it together. Cop it as a team. We have another opportunity. We can finally take this, squash this once and for all.'"I was on the phone to Todd Greenberg, who was the ACA CEO back then, too. He's with our players' union. But then that statement came out from the guys and, pretty much, what could I do? I wasn't going to go to war with those guys back then. I wasn't comfortable. That's the truth."WHY KHWAJA DID NOT SPEAK WHILE STILL PLAYINGKhawaja also explained why he remained silent during the four years that followed the 2021 episode. He admitted that he was reluctant to become the first Australian player to speak publicly about the scandal while he was still part of the team.According to the former batter, his biggest concern was that anything he said could affect the dressing room. He pointed to his public comments on Palestine in 2023 as an example of how conscious he remained of the possible impact of his individual actions on the Australian team.Khawaja said he had even approached captain Pat Cummins before speaking publicly on the issue, offering to withdraw his comments if they were likely to affect the team. Cummins, however, encouraged him to continue." So then you ask, why didn't I say anything in those four years after that, while I was still playing? You know what? I never wanted to be the first guy to chat about this. Call me a chicken or whatever you want. I didn't know how to do it because I was still on the team. How was I ever supposed to bring it up when I knew some of my teammates didn't want to talk about it?"Because I knew everything I did or said always influenced and affected the team. I knew this, even when I spoke out in 2023 about the Palestinians. The first day the story broke, I saw Patty in the hotel, and I said, 'Patty, first and foremost, I'm an Australian cricketer. If you want me to stop, I will stop right now. I promise you.'"And to his credit, he looked at me and said, 'It doesn't affect us. You believe in it? Keep going.' And I appreciate that."I was always conscious of putting my team first, but I'm not in that team anymore. What I say now isn't a reflection of them, and my words don't influence the team at all. I speak for myself."WHY NOW?Khawaja also rejected suggestions that he had timed the revelations in his autobiography to generate publicity and boost book sales. He claimed that he had deliberately waited until Australia's recent tour of South Africa was over before publishing his account.The former batter revealed that he had contacted Cummins before making the revelations public, reiterating that he did not want his book to become a distraction for the Australian team while they were in South Africa."But even so, I refused to publish any of this while the boys were still in South Africa. That's why I called Pat. Why would someone who really wants to increase the sales of his books refuse the greatest marketing opportunity he had? Literally the greatest. Everyone would have been talking about my book over there, all over the world, during that series. But that was never my goal. I waited until it was over."'WARNER, SMITH, BRANCROFT ARE VICTIMS'Khawaja's strongest defence, however, was reserved for the three players who bore the brunt of the fallout from the scandal. He insisted that Smith, Warner and Bancroft were the real victims of the episode, arguing that the trio had endured years of public humiliation while the rest of the team had largely moved on.The former Australia opener acknowledged that the incident had taken a toll on him as well, revealing that he had experienced sleepless nights and had even questioned whether he would be able to return to the dressing room. However, he maintained that the three players had faced a level of public scrutiny that the others involved had not experienced.Khawaja also claimed that he had spoken to all three players about the impact of the scandal, with Bancroft and Warner particularly affected by the way their lives had unfolded since 2018."And you know what? I haven't thrown anyone under the bus. The guys who are currently in the team, and the other people who were there on the South African tour, including you, including me, we're not the victims. These three guys took the blame for all of us. They're the victims."Yes, it was tough for everyone, including me. I had sleepless nights, too. I told Rachel and Justin Langer, 'I'm not sure if I can ever go back into the change rooms again.' But those three are the ones who have had to endure this for the last eight years. Why? People telling them that they're cheats, getting nailed by the crowd, public humiliation. None of us had to deal with that."And I'm glad everyone else has moved on, but I promise you, those guys have not moved on. How can they, if the truth has never come out? And I know this because I've been told by them."Bancroft told me at length how hard the last month was, watching the teams in Africa and dealing with everything. Davey, for his whole eight years, has had to deal with his family. And Smudge, I mean, he doesn't want to talk about it anymore."Khawaja then revealed that his decision to speak publicly was also driven by a personal promise he had made to Warner. The two had shared a long friendship, and Khawaja said he wanted to ensure that his childhood friend had the opportunity to tell his side of the story.He insisted that he had no regrets about making the revelations and maintained that his position had always been about securing collective accountability rather than shifting blame from one individual to another."But lastly, and most importantly, I made a promise to my childhood friend, David Warner, that I would tell the truth so he could tell his story. I'm absolutely, 100 per cent unapologetic for that."I've stood up for all cricketers in the past, with the ACA, fighting for what I thought was right. This is no different. These three guys deserve justice."And I haven't pointed fingers at anyone. I'm still searching for what I was searching for all those years ago: for us, me included, to take the blame together as a team, so we can all move on from this once and for all."And you know what? I would do it again in a heartbeat. I was always conscious of putting the team first."- Ends