‘I haven’t thrown anyone under the bus’: Usman Khawaja defends timing of ball-tampering revelations

Former Australian Test opener Usman Khawaja has strongly defended the timing of his ball-tampering revelations, asserting that he has not thrown former teammates under the bus by detailing the wider culture surrounding the 2018 Cape Town scandal.

Addressing the public in a video posted to his social media channels, Khawaja explained why he chose to air allegations that sandpaper had already been trialled in the Port Elizabeth Test prior to the Newlands fixture, arguing that the three players sanctioned in 2018 carried the burden for the entire dressing room.

Smith intervention and delayed disclosure

According to Khawaja, his initial inclination was to speak openly just days after the 2018 incident unfolded in South Africa. However, he stated that former captain Steve Smith urged him against going public at the time to absorb the blame on behalf of the squad.

Khawaja indicated that another push to take collective responsibility occurred in 2021, though Australian bowlers subsequently issued a joint statement denying prior knowledge of the sandpaper plot.

Addressing critics who questioned why these details are emerging years later, Khawaja outlined the sequence of events that informed his decision to hold his account until the release of his memoir, Sabr:

1. The initial application of sandpaper took place inside the change room during the second Test in Port Elizabeth.
2. After teammates saw the effect on the ball, Cameron Bancroft volunteered to use the substance, initially at the start of sessions when entering the field; the tactic later expanded to on-field use in the next Test at Cape Town.
3. Steve Smith talked Khawaja out of making an immediate public statement following the suspensions in Cape Town.
4. A pact was maintained with opening partner David Warner to defer detailed commentary until after retirement.
5. Publication was deliberately withheld until after Australia completed their Test tour of South Africa.

Protecting the narrative versus clearing the air

Khawaja maintained that holding the disclosures until after Australia’s recent Test commitments in South Africa demonstrated that the release was not timed for financial opportunism. In his assessment, David Warner, Steve Smith, and Cameron Bancroft were the ones who suffered disproportionate public fallout.

"These three guys took the blame for all of us. They're the victims … people telling them that they're cheats, getting nailed by the crowd," Khawaja stated, reiterating that the remainder of the touring party should not be viewed as victims of the subsequent scrutiny.

Extracts from the memoir allege that Bancroft was encouraged by a member of the coaching staff to escalate his ball-maintenance tactics before on-field cameras captured the act at Newlands. While the timing of the book will inevitably draw debate across Australian cricket circles, Khawaja insisted his sole objective was ensuring the full context of the dressing room environment is finally placed on the record.