Cricket Scandal: Warner calls 2018 probe botched
Former Australia captain David Warner backs Usman Khawaja's claim that the entire team was involved in the Cape Town ball-tampering incident.
By Marta Gray ·
The 2018 Sandpapergate scandal, which resulted in historic suspensions for three Australian cricketers, has resurfaced after former teammate Usman Khawaja detailed new claims regarding the team's collective responsibility. David Warner, the former Australian captain, has now publicly endorsed Khawaja's account, criticizing the official inquiry into the incident as rushed and botched.
Warner posted a video to Instagram on Monday to express his full support for Khawaja, who recently published excerpts from a book detailing the events of that year. In the video, Warner stated that Khawaja's description of the situation is one hundred percent accurate. He noted that it has been eight years since he last spoke publicly about the topic and thanked Khawaja for bringing the matter to light.
The original scandal erupted during a test match against South Africa in Cape Town. The host broadcaster captured video evidence of Cameron Bancroft using sandpaper to scuff the ball. This action allowed the ball to swing in an unconventional manner through the air. The incident led to the harshest penalties ever imposed for ball tampering in international cricket history.
Cricket Australia suspended Bancroft for nine months. Smith and Warner, who served as the captain and vice-captain of the test team at the time, were suspended from all cricket for one year. For eight years, team management and Cricket Australia rejected the notion that the entire squad was complicit in the plot. The three suspended players made emotional apologies upon returning to Australia but rarely discussed the investigation publicly until now.
Khawaja, who was playing in the match, stated that he wanted the whole team to accept responsibility but was advised against doing so. He retired from international cricket in January. He said he promised Warner, his childhood friend, that he would tell the truth about what happened. Warner said he decided to comment now after discussing the events with his young daughters over recent days.
Warner described the timing of the revelations as necessary rather than a reopening of old wounds. He wrote that acknowledging the issue is important because the wounds never properly healed. He emphasized that time passing does not replace the need for accountability. He added that speaking the truth takes courage, especially when others prefer silence.
The former captain, who retired from the traditional format of the game in 2024 with 112 test caps, suggested that the focus should shift from the person asking for accountability to those responsible for the investigation. He urged the public to stop scrutinizing Khawaja and start asking the investigators to provide a clear answer. Warner concluded that some things are bigger than the sport itself.
