You’ve seen the headlines. But is Usman Khawaja’s book any good?

Former Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja's autobiography, "Sabr," has generated headlines due to its claim that the entire Australian cricket team was aware of a ball being doctored with sandpaper during a test match in South Africa in 2018. Three players, including Khawaja's childhood friend David Warner, were singled out and suspended by Cricket Australia.

Khawaja attributes his decision to speak out to his loyalty to the affected players, particularly Warner. The book's title, "Sabr," is an Urdu and Arabic word for patience, reflecting Khawaja's Islamic faith, which emphasizes honesty and divine providence. Khawaja's resilience is evident as he details his struggle with chronic arthritis and the psychological burden of being dropped from the Australian team multiple times.

The book also explores Khawaja's unique position as an Islamic migrant in modern Australia. Although he migrated from Pakistan at the age of four, he remained loyal to the Pakistani cricket team until 1999, when he was 13. Khawaja has faced criticism from former Australian players such as Ian Chappell, Mark Taylor, and Ian Healy for being a "lazy subcontinent player," a bad fielder, and a poor team man.

Despite the tensions, Khawaja has managed to maintain his ethical integrity and self-reliance. In Chapter 17, titled "Sandpaper," he addresses the controversial allegations, avoiding specific indictments but accusing the team of collective guilt. Khawaja claims to know who the two players were who disagreed with team manager Gavin Dovey's decision to take the blame as a team, revealing their true colors.

The book is strategically designed to avoid pointing fingers while preserving the appearance of team spirit, even though the cracks in the facade are apparent. Literary scholar Paul John Eakin notes that autobiographies often present themselves as unvarnished truth but are actually artfully structured with strategic inclusions and exclusions.

Khawaja's book follows this pattern, and his media appearances have been adjusted due to his evasiveness in answering questions about the Sandpaper affair.