Web Desk(National Times)- David Warner backed former teammate Usman Khawaja\u2019s claims that the entire Australian team was in on the 2018 \u201cSandpapergate\u201d scandal as \u201c100 per cent accurate\u201d on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Warner, one of three players banned over the ball-tampering controversy in Cape Town along with Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, said he stood \u201cwith my brother\u201d Khawaja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been eight years since I spoke on this topic,\u201d the former opener said on Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUzzie, I throw my full support behind you. I thank you for what you\u2019ve done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s 100 per cent accurate what you\u2019ve said. Now everyone knows the truth. It\u2019s out there. People wanted to know it. You\u2019ve come out and said it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khawaja, Warner\u2019s close friend and long-time opening partner, re-ignited the infamous incident on Saturday ahead of the release of his autobiography this week, where a chapter is dedicated to the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us,\u201d Khawaja claimed about who was in on the plot to doctor the ball with sandpaper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cricket Australia\u2019s original investigation found only Smith, Warner and Bancroft were in the know, with the governing body at the weekend saying it remained \u201ccomfortable\u201d with its findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon all denied publicly in 2021 that they knew about it, while Darren Lehmann, who was head coach at the time, denied on Saturday there was widespread knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t about reopening old wounds,\u201d said Warner, who retired from Test cricket in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about acknowledging that some wounds never properly healed. I stand with my brother Usman Khawaja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSpeaking your truth takes courage, especially when people would rather you stay silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTime passing doesn\u2019t replace accountability, and asking questions shouldn\u2019t be mistaken for holding grudges. Respect, honesty and accountability. That\u2019s all anyone can ask for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Smith was banned for a year and sacked as captain over the furore during the third Test in Cape Town. Warner was suspended for 12 months and stripped of all leadership roles, while Bancroft was slapped with a nine-month ban.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese three guys (Smith, Warner and Bancroft) took the blame for all of us,\u201d said Khawaja, who retired this year. \u201cThey\u2019re the victims \u2026 people telling them that they\u2019re cheats, getting nailed by the crowd. Public humiliation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Warner said the past eight years had been \u201ca tough time for my family, Steven and Cameron no doubt\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut this is what needed to come out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was scathing of the Cricket Australia investigation process, calling it \u201crushed and botched\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUzzie was sitting next to Cameron Bancroft. Uzzie was not interviewed. How is that a thorough investigation? It baffles me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Web Desk(National Times)- David Warner backed former teammate Usman Khawaja\u2019s claims that the entire Australian team was in on the 2018 \u201cSandpapergate\u201d scandal as \u201c100 per cent accurate\u201d on Monday. Warner, one of three players banned over the ball-tampering controversy in Cape Town along with Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, said he stood \u201cwith my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":136154,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n