Sandpapergate recap: Everything you need to know about Usman Khawaja’s new book

More than eight years after the Sandpapergate scandal rocked Australian cricket, former cricketer Usman Khawaja’s new book Sabr has reignited the controversy, raising questions about how much the team was aware about the ball-tampering plot.

The revealing insights about the controversial episode of cricket has triggered a series of subsequent debates and discussions. Khawaja’s account suggests that discussions about tampering the ball were more widespread within the Australian dressing room than Cricket Australia’s (CA) investigation established.

However, Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg stated on Tuesday (November 10, 2026) about “no compelling reason” for another investigation. Meanwhile, editorials in two major newspapers in Australia have called on CA to take action while The Australian newspaper urged Captain Patt Cummins to break his silence in the matter.

Subsequently, Khawaja has cancelled events to promote his new book, local media reported ‌on Wednesday (November 11, 2026), after an awkward TV interview in which he refused to confirm ​whether Australia’s bowlers were involved in the 2018 ball-tampering plot in South Africa.

Read More : Usman Khawaja says he isn’t seeking witch hunt over ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal On March 24, 2018, a major cricket cheating controversy unfolded during a Test match between Australia and South Africa. A television broadcast displayed Australian batter Cameron Bancroft scuffing the cricket ball with a piece of yellow sandpaper.

Later, the admission by skipper Steve Smith that ball-tampering strategy was devised earlier, setoff debate on ‘laxity of disciplinary measures in the international cricket’. During the match, Bancroft hid the the sandpaper inside his trousers upon realising that television cameras have caught his actions.

The action led to a 12-month ban against Captain Steve Smith and Vice-Captain David Warner. While, Bancroft was suspended for nine months for his involvement in the act, and coach Darren Lehmann resigned towards the end of the series.

The former Australian cricketer mentioned that that knowledge of the plan to manipulate the ball was not confined to those three players and that ‌the whole team should be held responsible. Further, it said, “open, lighthearted discussions” were held during the South Africa series about ways to ​scuff up the ball, ‌including by using sandpaper.

In a interview to an Australia-based television channel, Khawaja dodged the questions on whether captain Cummins and his fellow bowlers had prior knowledge that ⁠sandpaper was being used to change the condition of the ball.

He referred to him and Mitchell Starc as his good friend. “I’m not here to go on a witch hunt, all I’ve ever wanted is for us to take accountability as a team and I don’t think that’s a lot to say,” he mentioned in the interview.

Also Read : “It was all of us”: Khawaja reopens Sandpapergate debate in new book Fast bowler Mitchell Starc denied on Tuesday (November 10, 2026) any prior knowledge of Australia’s plot to tamper with the ball ‌during the 2018 tour of South Africa, as Cricket Australia boss Todd Greenberg ​ruled out another investigation into Sandpapergate.

Starc is the first of Australia’s bowlers to respond to Khawaja’s assertions in his autobiography and on social media that the whole team knew of a plan to manipulate the ball in order to get it to reverse swing. Starc reiterated the bowlers’ position from a 2021 statement that ‌they did not know a “foreign substance” had been taken onto the field to alter the condition of the ball.

Also Read : Cricket Australia chief says no reason to reopen probe over sandpaper-gate controversy “I haven’t really paid much attention to be fair, obviously ‌there’s differing opinions of eight years ago,” Starc told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.

“We were heavily ‌drilled ⁠through the process at the time, and since and I guess I won’t ⁠speak on behalf of the bowlers, but where I stand, my opinion hasn’t changed. My recollection hasn’t changed from what we said in 2021,” he said.