Storyline · sports · 2 reports from 2 newsrooms

Khawaja defends teammates in 2018 sandpaper scandal

First reported Nov 6, 6:35 PM ET · Latest Nov 8, 5:04 AM ET · Explainer updated Nov 8, 7:01 AM ET

Where things stand

Usman Khawaja has said he did not “throw anyone under the bus” over the 2018 sandpaper ball‑tampering revelations, and he claims the entire Australian touring party was aware of the plot, BBC News and The Guardian report.

Continuum

Facts

Facts appear here as Relay matches them to the reports.

Timeline

What changed: Khawaja asserted that all members of the team knew about the sandpaper scheme used in the Cape Town and Port Elizabeth Tests, and that only Cameron Bancroft, David Warner and Steve Smith received bans.

Every report, newest first

  1. No one was thrown under the bus by ball-tampering revelations, says cricketer Khawaja — BBC News

    Usman Khawaja says he has "not thrown anyone under the bus" with revelations about the sandpaper scandal that engulfed the Australia team in 2018.

  2. ‘It was all of us’: Khawaja says entire Australia team knew about sandpaper ball tampering plot — The Guardian

    Former Test opener says object also used on cricket ball in Port Elizabeth CA remains ‘comfortable’ with bans only for Bancroft, Warner and Smith Usman Khawaja has claimed “all” of the Australia touring party knew about the plot to tamper with the ball…

Questions

  • It remains unclear whether any further disciplinary action will be taken against other team members or how cricket authorities will respond to Khawaja’s broader claims. Open

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More: background

In 2018 Australia’s cricket team was caught using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball during a Test series in South Africa, a practice that can affect ball swing and is illegal under cricket rules. The scandal led to bans for three players and widespread criticism.

How this works: stories from different newsrooms are grouped by topic, then AI writes the explainer using only those reports. It may miss context the reports don't include.