{
  "id": 18653464,
  "title": "Australia's Khawaja claims entire team knew about 'Sandpapergate'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/australias-khawaja-claims-entire-team-knew-about-sandpapergate-18653464",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-07T06:21:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2042805/australias-khawaja-claims-entire-team-knew-about-sandpapergate"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja insisted on Saturday that every member of the national team was aware of the 2018 \"Sandpapergate\" scandal in Cape Town. Khawaja, who recently announced his retirement after playing 88 Tests, made these claims in an upcoming autobiography chapter. Captain Steve Smith, deputy David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft were dismissed from the team following the discovery of the ball-tampering plot, with the investigation finding them to be the only three players with prior knowledge. Smith was banned for a year and removed as captain, Warner was suspended for 12 months and stripped of all leadership roles, while Bancroft received a nine-month ban. However, former bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon denied in 2021 that they had any knowledge of the incident. Khawaja expressed his disappointment that it took eight years for the truth to emerge, hoping it would have been exposed earlier by someone like Warner. Darren Lehmann, the head coach at the time, denied widespread knowledge of the plot, stating that he believes ball-tampering was once common in international cricket. He added that the issue is long behind him and that he has moved on with his life.",
  "summary": "Usman Khawaja claimed on Saturday that the entire Australian team knew about the 2018 “Sandpapergate” scandal in Cape Town and said they also employed the tactic during the previous Test at Port Elizabeth. Captain Steve Smith, his deputy David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were sent home in disgrace and found by a Cricket Australia investigation to be the only three players with prior knowledge of…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport",
        "title": "Whole Australia team knew of sandpaper use - Khawaja",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/whole-australia-team-knew-of-sandpaper-use-khawaja",
        "published": "2026-11-06T22:06:57.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Usman Khawaja reveals ‘all of us’ involved in 2018 Australia sandpaper ball-tampering scandal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/usman-khawaja-reveals-all-of-us-involved-in-2018-australia-sandpaper",
        "published": "2026-11-07T00:58:22.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja disputes findings in 2018 ball-tampering probe",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/australian-cricketer-usman-khawaja-disputes-findings-in-2018-ball",
        "published": "2026-11-07T01:34:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Australia's Khawaja claims entire team knew about 'Sandpapergate'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/australias-khawaja-claims-entire-team-knew-about-sandpapergate",
        "published": "2026-11-07T02:43:56.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News AU",
        "title": "Lehmann says 'everyone' was ball tampering globally, denies Khawaja's sandpaper claims",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/lehmann-says-everyone-was-ball-tampering-globally-denies-khawajas",
        "published": "2026-11-07T03:49:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Khawaja claims entire Australia team knew about 2018 ball-tampering scandal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/khawaja-claims-entire-australia-team-knew-about-2018-ball-tampering",
        "published": "2026-11-07T05:46:54.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}