Usman Khawaja has forcefully rejected accusations of undermining his former teammates, stating, “I haven’t thrown anyone under the bus,” as fresh revelations from his upcoming autobiography, *Sabr*, reignite the 2018 Sandpapergate scandal. Excerpts published by the *Sydney Morning Herald* on Saturday suggested that the controversial practice was not isolated to the third Test in Cape Town but had also been attempted in the preceding match. Khawaja’s comments imply a broader team awareness of the ball-tampering, a claim that has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world and prompted immediate backlash from key figures in the Australian setup.
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The controversy escalated on Sunday when Khawaja took to social media to address what he described as media exaggeration, insisting his account had been misrepresented. “Alright, it’s time to clear up some facts because the media has taken this to the moon, as expected,” he wrote. He clarified that his reference to “all of us” was intended to highlight collective responsibility rather than assign individual blame. “Whether we like it or not, we are all responsible for what happened,” Khawaja stated, emphasizing that his silence the previous day was a deliberate choice to let the facts speak before engaging with the narrative.
Former Australia coach Darren Lehmann and ex-England captain Michael Vaughan have both voiced strong displeasure with Khawaja’s disclosures, with Lehmann outright rejecting the claims. The incident, which originally resulted in a $200,000 fine and a 12-month ban for Steve Smith and David Warner, remains a defining moment of shame for Australian cricket. As the full release of *Sabr* approaches, the debate over accountability versus loyalty continues to dominate headlines, with fans and pundits divided on whether Khawaja’s candor serves justice or fractures a team that has already spent years attempting to move past the incident.
Source: Yahoo Sports
