Sydney:Usman Khawaja insisted Sunday he did not "throw anyone under the bus" by claiming the entire Australian team was in on the 2018 "Sandpapergate" plot and defended taking eight years to go public. The retired batsman re-ignited the infamous ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town on Saturday ahead of the release of his autobiography this week, where a chapter is dedicated to the issue.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Khawaja alleged that it was not just Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft — who were all subsequently banned — who were responsible. "It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us," he said. Khawaja claimed Australia also employed the tactic during the previous Test at Port Elizabeth.
In response, Darren Lehmann, who was head coach at the time, denied there was widespread knowledge of the plot while Cricket Australia said it was "comfortable" with the findings of its original investigation. That probe found only Smith, Warner, and Bancroft were in the know. Khawaja further explained in a lengthy Instagram post that his comments were meant to imply collective responsibility among the team, stating, "We need to take that collectively. That is all."
Khawaja emphasized he had not accused anyone personally and defended waiting to make his claims, denying any intention to use the controversy as a marketing strategy for his book. He recounted wanting to go public in 2018 but was dissuaded by Smith, whom he described as taking responsibility for the team. Khawaja also considered speaking up in 2021 when certain bowlers denied knowledge of the tampering but chose not to after discussions with then-coach Justin Langer.
Reflecting on his decision to finally speak out, Khawaja explained he felt unable to do so while still part of the team, expressing, "I was always conscious of putting my team first, but I'm not in that team anymore."