The infamous 2018 Sandpapergate scandal has returned to the spotlight following explosive revelations in Usman Khawaja's autobiography, titled 'Sabr'. In his book, the veteran Australian batter asserted that the entire playing squad and coaching setup were fully aware of the plan to alter the condition of the ball during the Cape Town Test. In response to these rekindled allegations, South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada and several of his teammates from that 2018 series have stepped forward to distance themselves from the controversy.
Rabada and South African Squad Distance Themselves
Addressing the media during a press conference in Johannesburg on November 13, Kagiso Rabada made it clear that the inner workings and controversies of the Australian team are not South Africa's concern. Rabada stated that whatever the Australian players are going through internally is entirely their own affair, adding that the South African team has nothing to do with the matter.
Other members of the South African squad who featured in the contentious 2018 Test series echoed similar sentiments regarding Khawaja's statements. Speaking about the allegations, players mentioned that they had not read Khawaja's book and maintained no interest in his claims. They noted that if Khawaja is making such sweeping assertions, he should possess concrete evidence to back them up. One player remarked that Khawaja's comments represent his personal opinion and emphasized a complete unwillingness to get dragged into back-and-forth mudslinging.
Pat Cummins Denies Claims While Khawaja Stands Firm
The allegations made in Khawaja's autobiography have also drawn a sharp rebuttal from Australian Test captain Pat Cummins. Rejecting the suggestion that the bowling attack had prior knowledge of the sandpaper being brought onto the field, Cummins previously told the media that such claims were completely untrue and total nonsense.
Undeterred by the pushback, Usman Khawaja reiterated his position while speaking to Australian media on November 14. Khawaja insisted that responsibility for the incident was shared across the entire collective. He maintained that it was not merely restricted to individual batters, bowlers, or support staff, but rather involved everyone within the team environment at the time.
Background of the 2018 Sandpapergate Incident
The original ball-tampering crisis erupted in March 2018 during the third Test between Australia and South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town. Television cameras caught Australian cricketer Cameron Bancroft attempting to rough up one side of the ball using sandpaper. The resulting fallout rocked international cricket, leading to heavy sanctions. Captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner were handed 12-month bans from international and domestic cricket, while Bancroft received a nine-month suspension.
At the time, Australia's main frontline bowlers issued formal statements denying any awareness of the plot. Khawaja's new book has brought those long-standing questions back to the surface, but the latest reactions from South Africa show that the Proteas view the debate strictly as an internal Australian crisis.
