Khawaja says entire Australia team knew of 2018 ball-tampering
The former opener says the 2018 Cape Town sandpaper plan was discussed openly, challenging Cricket Australia's earlier investigation.
Key facts
Story- Usman Khawaja says the whole Australia dressing room knew of the 2018 ball-tampering plan
- The incident happened in the final Test of the 2018 series against South Africa in Cape Town
- Khawaja says the conversations were open, which casts doubt on Cricket Australia's earlier investigation
Usman Khawaja, who opened the batting for Australia, has claimed that the entire team knew about the ball-tampering scheme in Cape Town in 2018. He made the claim in remarks published on 7 November 2026.
The scheme involved the use of sandpaper to alter the ball during the final Test of the 2018 series against South Africa. Khawaja said the subject was not a private matter. He said the discussions were open and took place during the tour.
"It was all of us," Khawaja said, in a remark that has been widely quoted.
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Cricket Australia conducted an investigation after the scandal. The governing body has said it considered all the relevant information before reaching its conclusions. Khawaja's account challenges that position, because it suggests wider knowledge than the inquiry found.
Cricket Australia has not said whether it has responded to Khawaja's remarks. It is also not yet known whether any new review will follow.
The Cape Town incident became one of the most damaging episodes in Australian cricket. Several players were sanctioned after it came to light, and the affair changed how the team was viewed abroad. Khawaja was not among the players sanctioned at the time.
Khawaja's comments add a new layer to a case many considered closed.
It is not yet known whether other players will comment, or whether Cricket Australia will reopen its investigation.
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