Khawaja denies throwing 'anyone under the bus' with comments about ball-tampering scandal

Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has denied allegations that he "threw anyone under the bus" with comments about the ball-tampering scandal during the 2018 South Africa tour, according to his autobiography excerpt. The scandal, known as "Sandpapergate," involved Australia's team scuffing the ball with sandpaper, leading to bans for captain Steve Smith, batsmen David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

Khawaja, who released the excerpt on Instagram, stated that he aimed to "come clean" about the incident since 2018 and that he had promised Warner he would share his side of the story. Khawaja emphasized that he had spoken with the three players involved and that they deserved justice, and he had promised to share their perspective.

He also expressed his desire for the team to take the blame collectively, allowing them to move on from the scandal. Khawaja's comments came as Australia's test side visited South Africa for the first time since 2018, where they were defeated 2-1 by the hosts in a three-match series marred by discussions of the scandal and the book's release.