{
  "id": 19129390,
  "title": "Warner backs Khawaja’s Sandpapergate account, calls Cricket Australia probe ‘rushed and botched’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/warner-backs-khawajas-sandpapergate-account-calls-cricket-australia",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-09T09:42:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/uncategorized/2026/11/09/warner-backs-khawajas-sandpapergate-account-calls-cricket-australia-probe-rushed-and-botched"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "David Warner has backed his teammate Usman Khawaja's account of the Sandpapergate cheating scandal, which implicated the entire Australian cricket team in the ball tampering episode that occurred in 2018 at Cape Town. Warner posted a video on Instagram supporting Khawaja's claims, stating that it's \"100% accurate\" and expressing gratitude for Khawaja's actions. This comes eight years after the scandal rocked Australian cricket, leading to lengthy suspensions for Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft. The Cricket Australia investigation into the ball tampering scandal was called \"rushed and botched\" by Warner, as he believes the investigation was inadequate. Khawaja, who retired from international cricket in January, promised Warner, his childhood friend, that he would tell the truth. The scandal resulted in the heaviest penalties ever imposed for ball tampering in international cricket.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Usman Khawaja book name: Release date, Sandpapergate and what to expect from ex-Australia star's 'explosive' book",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/usman-khawaja-book-name-release-date-sandpapergate-and-what-to-expect",
        "published": "2026-11-07T02:50:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ESPNcricinfo",
        "title": "'100% accurate' - Warner throws his support behind Khawaja on sandpapergate revelations",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/100-accurate-warner-throws-his-support-behind-khawaja-on",
        "published": "2026-11-09T08:14:27.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}