Usman Khawaja defends timing of disputed 2018 ball-tampering account

Usman Khawaja has defended his decision to publish allegations about Australia's 2018 ball-tampering scandal, saying he had previously tried to make the team accept collective responsibility. The Guardian reported that the former Test opener gave a two-part explanation on Instagram on Sunday, ahead of the release of his memoir, Sabr, on Tuesday. His account is disputed by Cricket Australia's findings and earlier statements from other players.

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Khawaja said he wanted to speak publicly shortly after Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were suspended over the Cape Town incident, but that Smith persuaded him not to. He also claimed to have discussed collective responsibility extensively in 2021 with then-coach Justin Langer and Todd Greenberg, who was leading the players' union at the time. Those assertions form part of Khawaja's explanation for why he is speaking now.

According to the Guardian's account of extracts from the book, Khawaja alleges that sandpaper was first applied to a ball in the dressing room during the preceding Test against South Africa at St George's Park. He claims Bancroft subsequently volunteered to use it, initially when entering the field at the start of sessions, before its use extended to the field during the Cape Town Test.

The memoir also alleges that a member of Australia's coaching staff encouraged Bancroft to increase what he was doing to the ball before cameras caught him. These remain Khawaja's allegations, rather than established findings of the investigation. In his Instagram explanation, he argued that Smith, Warner and Bancroft had borne the public consequences on behalf of others, including himself.

Addressing the timing, Khawaja said he had promised Warner that he would disclose his account in a book after retiring. He said he had felt unable to address the issue comfortably after returning to Australia's team in 2022. He also cited his decision to delay publication until after Australia's Test visit to South Africa last month in rejecting suggestions that his motive was financial.

Cricket Australia maintains that its 2018 investigation found only Warner, Smith and Bancroft knew about the plan, the Guardian reported. Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon have previously denied knowing that a foreign substance was being taken onto the field. Khawaja has separately criticised the investigation and said he was not interviewed, leaving a clear disagreement between his account and the conclusions the governing body continues to support.