Khawaja: Ball-tampering discussion had spread through the entire team

Former Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja wrote in extracts from his autobiography, published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday, that ways of roughening the ball were discussed openly and casually within the team during the 2018 South Africa tour. Khawaja said the use of sandpaper was also part of these conversations.

According to Khawaja, these discussions were not limited to batters, bowlers or support staff, but had spread across the entire team. Khawaja, who played 88 Tests as a former top-order batter, was found not guilty in the investigation and announced his retirement in January.

Cricket Australia defended its investigation into the events in Cape Town in 2018 in a statement on Saturday. The investigation had concluded that prior knowledge was limited to Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. The body said it had taken into account the information it held and that the opportunity to provide new information remained open. Captain Pat Cummins, meanwhile, rejected claims that the book could trigger a new crisis. The Australian national team returned to South Africa last month for the first time since 2018 and lost the three-match series 2-1.