Eight years after the infamous Sandpapergate scandal, David Warner has dropped fresh bombshells. Taking to an Instagram video, the former vice-captain gave his total backing to teammate Usman Khawaja's recent claims about the 2018 Cape Town controversy.
Excerpts published from Khawaja's upcoming autobiography state that the entire Australian team knew about the scheme to alter the ball before their match against South Africa at Newlands. Warner agreed fully, declaring that Khawaja was completely right.
Questions over the probe
Warner also questioned how officials ran the inquiry back then, describing the interview process as rushed and poorly handled. He asked why Khawaja was not even interviewed despite sitting next to Cameron Bancroft.
Cricket Australia's original probe concluded that only Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft had prior knowledge of the plan. All three received suspensions at the time.
Warner stressed that speaking out is not about reopening old wounds, but about accountability and transparency. He also shared that he recently discussed the emotional impact of the scandal with his daughters.
“Uzzy, I throw my full support behind you. I thank you for what you’ve done. It’s 100 per cent accurate what you’ve said,”David Warner
The fallout continues
Despite questions over the timing of the book's release, Warner insisted Khawaja deserved support for revealing what happened.
Meanwhile, Cricket Australia has maintained that it is satisfied with its investigation. Former Australian coach Darren Lehmann has disputed aspects of Khawaja's allegations.
