# Usman Khawaja says whole Australia team knew of 2018 sandpaper plan; Lehmann and CA push back

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/cricket/usman-khawaja-says-whole-australia-team-knew-of-2018-sandpaper-plan-lehmann-and)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 7 Nov 2026
Updated: 7 Nov 2026
Retrieved: 7 Nov 2026

> In his autobiography Sabr, the Islamabad-born opener says ball-tampering talk began a Test before Cape Town. Cricket Australia stands by its finding that only three players knew.

**Usman Khawaja, the Islamabad-born former Australia opener, says the whole Australian team knew about ball tampering with sandpaper in the 2018 Cape Town Test**, contradicting the Cricket Australia (CA) investigation that found only three players were in on it. The claim comes from extracts of his autobiography, *Sabr*, published by the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday 7 November, as [the BBC reported](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/cjdx33kyzk3lo).

"It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us," Khawaja told the newspaper.

## What Khawaja says happened in 2018

According to the extracts, the idea did not start in Cape Town. Khawaja writes that "open" dressing-room discussions about roughing up the ball took place during the second Test of the series at Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha), which led to what he calls the "discovery of sandpaper as an effective agent". He says captain Steve Smith "essentially threw his hands in the air and said he didn't want to know".

He also says he was surprised that CA never asked him for evidence during its inquiry, and that he expected "the truth would have been out by now" after eight years.

## How this compares with the 2018 findings

| | CA investigation, 2018 | Khawaja's book, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Who knew | Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft only | The whole team, batters, bowlers and staff |
| Where it began | Cape Town, third Test | Talk began at Port Elizabeth, second Test |
| Penalties | Bans for Smith, Warner and Bancroft; coach Darren Lehmann cleared but resigned | No new penalties proposed |

The four bowlers in that Test, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon, said in a joint statement in 2021 that they "did not know a foreign substance was taken on to the field" until they saw the images on the big screen at Newlands.

## The response so far

**Cricket Australia** said it remains "comfortable with the findings of our integrity process" and that anyone can still present new information, [Business Recorder reported](https://www.brecorder.com/news/40447896/australian-cricketer-usman-khawaja-disputes-findings-in-2018-ball-tampering-probe), carrying the Reuters report.

**Darren Lehmann**, the coach at the time, denied the claim. "I don't think everyone would have known," he told ABC Sport, according to [ESPNcricinfo](https://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/1561759.html).

**Pat Cummins**, now Test captain, said in October that Khawaja had told him about the book and that the matter was "all dealt with then".

## Why it matters now

Khawaja, 39, played 88 Tests and scored 6,229 runs before retiring in January. His account is the most direct yet from a member of that squad that knowledge went beyond the three who were banned; Bancroft only hinted at it in a 2021 Guardian interview. Australia lost that 2018 series 3-1 and, on their return to South Africa last month, lost again 2-1.

Closer to home, Pakistan's own Test season starts on 9 November against Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi at 9:30am PKT. See the [Pakistan squad](/news/cricket/pakistan-test-squad-vs-sri-lanka-babar-azam-leads-14-three-uncapped-players) and [how to watch on PTV Sports](/guides/telecom/ptv-sports-live-how-to-watch).

## Frequently asked questions

**What did Usman Khawaja say about Sandpapergate?**

In extracts of his autobiography Sabr published on 7 November 2026, Khawaja said the whole Australian team knew about using sandpaper on the ball in the 2018 Cape Town Test, and that the idea came up during the previous Test in Port Elizabeth.

**How did Cricket Australia respond?**

Cricket Australia said it remains comfortable with the findings of its 2018 integrity process, which found that only Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft knew, and said new information can still be presented.

## Sources

- Whole Australia team knew of sandpaper use - Khawaja (BBC Sport): https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/cjdx33kyzk3lo
- Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja disputes findings in 2018 ball-tampering probe (Business Recorder (Reuters)): https://www.brecorder.com/news/40447896/australian-cricketer-usman-khawaja-disputes-findings-in-2018-ball-tampering-probe
- 'Don't think everyone would have known' - Lehmann denies Khawaja's claim (ESPNcricinfo): https://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/1561759.html
- Australia's Khawaja claims entire team knew about 'Sandpapergate' (Dawn): https://www.dawn.com/news/2042805/australias-khawaja-claims-entire-team-knew-about-sandpapergate

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