Australia Usman Khawaja warms up during a practice session ahead of the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Australia, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)Usman Khawaja has lifted the lid on an episode that preceded Australia’s infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town, claiming that sandpaper had also been used on the ball during the second Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth.In his autobiography, Sabr, Khawaja recalls Cameron Bancroft working on the ball during the interval before Australia took four wickets for 28 runs in the next session. The ball was moving so sharply that, Khawaja writes, he thought, “even I could reverse swing this ball”. His verdict on the extent of the movement that afternoon was blunt: “It was ridiculous.”Khawaja’s revelations drew sharp reactions from former and current players, with some backing his account, others standing by their earlier statements and several questioning whether the full truth about the scandal will ever emerge.Not changing opinion: StarcFast bowler Mitchell Starc stood by the statement issued by the bowling group in 2021, saying his recollection had not changed. Speaking at Fox Cricket’s summer launch, Starc said: “My opinion hasn’t changed. My recollection hasn’t changed from what we said in 2021.” He reiterated that the bowlers were unaware of a foreign substance being taken onto the field. “We weren’t aware it was taken on the field to be tampered with. We saw it on the big screen (for the first time)] in Cape Town,” he said.Truth didn’t come out: ClarkFormer Australia captain Michael Clarke called for the truth about Sandpapergate to emerge, saying the issue had not been properly resolved. Speaking to 2DayFM, Clarke said: “They can’t trust what’s real. They don’t know the truth until this gets reopened and the truth comes out.” He pointed to earlier opportunities to clarify events: “We had the chance in 2018. The truth didn’t come out. We had the chance in 2021 when (Bancroft) made those comments.” He also questioned why current captain Pat Cummins had not spoken publicly about the allegations.More to unpack: GillespieFormer Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie said he found it difficult to believe that only three players knew about the 2018 ball-tampering plan, but stopped short of endorsing Khawaja’s claim that the entire team was aware of it. Referring to Khawaja’s account of addressing the dressing room, Gillespie said in a video posted by ABC Sports: “He said everyone was in that room. I found that really fascinating.” Gillespie added: “There is so much more to unpack here. This ain’t going away anytime soon,” he added.‘Can’t believes bowlers were unaware’Former England captain Michael Vaughan questioned how Australia’s bowlers could have been unaware of what was being done to the ball. In his Telegraph column, he wrote: “We are all aware of who the ball-shiner is in a cricket side, even on a Sunday afternoon playing friendlies for your club team.” He added: “You can’t tell me the Australian team did not communicate that or the bowlers were totally unaware of what was being done to the ball.” Vaughan argued that players were protecting their reputations.Story continues below this ad‘Nightmare of Cummins & Co.Former Australia captain Mark Taylor said he was unsure whether the latest revelations would establish who knew about the ball-tampering plan. Speaking on WWOS, he said: “I don’t know if you’re ever going to find out exactly who knew what, where, and when.” Taylor also recalled the umpires’ examination of the ball in Cape Town: “Two umpires … inspected the ball and didn’t replace the ball, saying there’s nothing to see here.” He warned that the controversy would be “a nightmare for Pat Cummins and the team leading into the summer of cricket”.‘Some wounds never healed properly’Former Australian opener David Warner backed Usman Khawaja’s account of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, calling his revelations accurate. “It’s 100 per cent accurate what you’ve said. Now everyone knows the truth. It’s out there.” In a separate Instagram caption, he wrote: “I stand with my brother Usman Khawaja,” adding that “some wounds never properly healed” and that speaking out took courage, “especially when people would rather you stay silent”. Warner was one of the three players sanctioned after the Cape Town Test in 2018.Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.Tags:Usman Khawaja