Usman Khawaja has firmly rejected allegations that he targeted former teammates during his recent revelations about the 2018 sandpaper scandal. In his new autobiography, *Sabr*, and a subsequent interview with the *Sydney Morning Herald*, the Australian opener stated that the entire squad bears responsibility for the plot to tamper with the ball during the third Test against South Africa. Khawaja emphasized that his comments were not an attempt to shift blame but rather a call for the group to acknowledge their shared failure in maintaining the integrity of the game.
Australia opener insists 2018 team shares collective responsibility for disciplinary breach
The controversy centers on the fact that only captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner, and opener Cameron Bancroft faced formal disciplinary action and bans for the incident eight years ago. While those three players were publicly punished, Khawaja’s assertion that “all of us” are responsible has reignited debate about accountability within the Australian cricket team. By highlighting the collective nature of the offense, the 35-year-old suggests that the culture surrounding the incident extended beyond the three sanctioned individuals, challenging the narrative that only the primary actors were at fault.
In a series of clarifying videos posted to Instagram on Sunday, Khawaja addressed the public reaction to his comments directly. He stated, “You would have seen when I mentioned it was all of us, that’s implying that whether we like it or not, we are all responsible for what happened together.” The former captain of the West Indies T20I side further clarified that his intent was to foster a sense of collective ownership, noting, “As a team, we need to take that collectively. That is all.” This stance positions Khawaja as a voice for broader team accountability rather than a whistleblower seeking to incriminate specific individuals.
Source: BBC Sport
