David Warner backs Usman Khawaja’s claim on Sandpapergate

David Warner came out defending former Australian teammate Usman Khawaja's comments on the Sandpapergate scandal. Khawaja had previously claimed that the entire team had been aware of the plan to tamper with the ball during a 2018 tour of South Africa. Warner, in a video posted on his Instagram handle, said that Khawaja’s claim was "100 per cent accurate".

Warner thanked Khawaja in his video for revealing the truth and alleged that Cricket Australia's investigation into the incident was flawed."This whole interview process was rushed and botched. Uzzie was sitting next to Cameron Bancroft. Uzzie was not interviewed. How is that a thorough investigation? It baffles me," said the 40-year-old who retired from international cricket in 2024.

Warner said he and Khawaja were looking for accountability. "We're not here to point fingers, and we're not opening old wounds," he added. Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft were banned over the plan to rough up the ball with sandpaper during the third test at Newlands in Cape Town.

Khawaja, in excerpts from his autobiography published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday, claimed "open, lighthearted discussions" were held during the South Africa series about ways to scuff up the ball, including by using sandpaper. He said discussion of tampering was not confined to batters, bowlers or staff but extended throughout the entire team.

"It was all of us," Khawaja said in the book, according to the newspaper. The former Australian opener was cleared of wrongdoing in the probe and announced his retirement in January.

Meanwhile, Cricket Australia (CA) defended its 2018 probe, which concluded that prior knowledge of the plot was confined to Smith, Warner and Bancroft. "All relevant information presented to CA to date has been properly considered, and we remain comfortable with the findings of our integrity process. There has been the ongoing opportunity to present any relevant information, and this remains the case," it said in a statement on Saturday.

Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon, who comprised the bowling attack in the 2018 Test match, denied any knowledge of the plot in a joint statement issued in 2021. Cummins, currently the Australian Test captain, had previously dismissed suggestions that Khawaja’s autobiography ‌could trigger further fallout when published.
(With Reuters input).