Usman Khawaja stated he has "not thrown anyone under the bus" regarding revelations about the 2018 sandpaper scandal. In his autobiography Sabr and a Sydney Morning Herald interview, Khawaja claimed the entire Australia team should share responsibility for the ball-tampering plot, not just Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft. Speaking on Instagram, he clarified that his comments implied collective responsibility.
Other players like Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon previously denied knowledge of the plot. Darren Lehmann, the former coach who resigned after the scandal, also pushed back, stating he did not think everyone knew. Khawaja retired in January after scoring 6,229 runs in 88 Tests.
He revealed he met with Cummins to discuss his autobiography before the recent South Africa series, which Australia lost 2-1. Khawaja defended his timing, saying he avoided being the first to speak while still playing to maintain team harmony. Cricket Australia has not indicated plans to re-open the Newlands investigation, stating all relevant information has been considered.
Khawaja emphasized the three punished players are the victims, while the wider group benefited from their sacrifice.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing