Former Australian Star Khawaja Refuses to Pin Blame on Any Teammates in the 2018 Cape Town Ball‑Tampering Episode

Several teammates implicated in the Cape Town ball‑tampering affair have reiterated that they neither participated in nor were aware of the scheme to roughen the cricket ball with sandpaper.

Four of the bowlers who took part in the ill‑fated Test remain on Australia’s current Test squad. Pat Cummins, in particular, has served as the side’s captain since 2021.

In 2021 the four bowlers issued a unified statement insisting they had no knowledge of a foreign substance being carried onto the field.

On Saturday former coach Darren Lehmann, who stepped down after the ball‑tampering saga, contradicted Khawaja’s allegations, telling ABC: “I don’t think everyone would have known.”

Khawaja announced his retirement from international cricket in January, having amassed 6,229 runs across 88 Tests for Australia.

In October it emerged that Khawaja had met Cummins to discuss the forthcoming autobiography.

That encounter occurred prior to Australia’s most recent Test series in South Africa, a contest the Proteas won 2‑1.

In Instagram videos the 39‑year‑old Khawaja argued that responsibility for the plan should be distributed across the whole support staff, rather than being limited to Smith, Warner and Bancroft.

“I waited until the South Africa series has finished. And you know what? I haven’t thrown anyone under the bus,” Khawaja stated.

"The players currently in the squad, and those who were on the South Africa tour, including myself, are not the victims. The three men who owned the blame for all of us are the victims. Yes, it was tough for everyone, including me. I also had sleepless nights."

Khawaja justified his decision not to disclose his account of the sandpaper incident at the time, nor after the bowlers’ 2021 statement, choosing instead to reserve his version for his autobiography.

“Why didn’t I speak up in the four years after the incident while I was still playing? I never wanted to be the first person to talk about it,” he explained.

“Call me a coward if you like, but I didn’t know how to do it because I was still part of the side. How could I raise the issue when I knew some teammates didn’t want to discuss it?”

Cricket Australia has not signalled any intention to reopen the investigation into the Newlands episode of 2018.

CA issued a statement: “There has been considerable speculation in the eight years since the 2018 Cape Town Test, including extensive media coverage throughout last month’s South Africa series. Throughout this period there has been an ongoing opportunity to submit any pertinent information, and this remains the case. All relevant information provided to CA to date has been duly evaluated, and we continue to be satisfied with the conclusions of our integrity process.”

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