Khawaja: The Entire Australian Team Knew About the Ball-Tampering Scandal

Former Australian opening batter Usman Khawaja told the Sydney Morning Herald that all of the team's players knew about the ball-tampering incident in the Test match played in Cape Town in 2018. As his new book, Sabr, was being prepared for publication, Khawaja said: "We all knew. Not the fielders, not the bowlers, not the support staff. All of us."

Cricket Australia had stated that only Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft knew about the incident. Smith and Warner, who were captain and vice-captain at the time, were banned for one year, while Bancroft received a nine-month ban. Warner, who was identified as the architect of the plan, was also among those punished.

In 2021, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon issued a joint statement saying they had no knowledge of the incident. Bancroft, in a newspaper interview, was asked whether the bowling attack group knew, and replied: "I think that is self-evident." In his book, Khawaja wrote that the ball-tampering plan was first discussed at the second Test in Port Elizabeth, known today as Gqeberha.

Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood were rested for the white-ball series against England played at home this month. Lyon is not included in the limited-overs squad. For this reason, the four players are not expected to be questioned about Khawaja's claims yet.