Former Australia head coach Darren Lehmann has rejected Usman Khawaja’s explosive claim that the entire Australian team knew about the ball-tampering plan during the infamous 2018 Test series against South Africa, popularly known as ‘Sandpapergate’.
Speaking to ABC Sport’s Summer Grandstand on Saturday, Lehmann said he did not believe every member of the Australian team was aware of the use of sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball during the third Test in Cape Town.
“I don’t think everyone would have known about the use of sandpaper. You do know ball tampering is going on because it’s been happening for 150 years,” Lehmann said.
He added that while ball tampering had been a part of international cricket for decades, the method used in the Cape Town incident was different. Lehmann maintained that he could only speak about what he personally knew and that the Australian team had paid a heavy price for the controversy.
Khawaja claims entire team was aware
Khawaja reignited the eight-year-old controversy through excerpts from his upcoming autobiography, Sabr, published in the Sydney Morning Herald.
The former Australian opener claimed that the ball-tampering incident was not limited to captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, who was caught using sandpaper during the Cape Town Test.
“It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us,” Khawaja said.
He also alleged that attempts to alter the condition of the ball had begun during the previous Test in Port Elizabeth, before the scandal came to light in Cape Town.
Khawaja said he had urged the players to take collective responsibility after Bancroft was caught, rather than allowing three individuals to shoulder the blame.
Lehmann says he was unaware of the plan
Lehmann, who was Australia’s head coach during the 2018 series, said he did not remember Khawaja suggesting collective responsibility in the dressing room.
He explained that there were separate dressing rooms and several meetings taking place at the time, adding that he was frequently engaged in discussions with Cricket Australia.
Lehmann also admitted that the controversy had affected him deeply. He revealed that he went through a difficult period after the incident and spent around four months largely confined to his home.
Questioning the timing of Khawaja’s revelations, Lehmann said the incident had happened eight years ago and that reopening the controversy was bringing back painful memories for the people involved and their families.
Cricket Australia’s original investigation
The 2018 Sandpapergate scandal resulted in severe consequences for three Australian players. Steve Smith and David Warner received 12-month suspensions, while Cameron Bancroft was handed a nine-month ban.
Smith was also removed as captain, while Warner was stripped of leadership responsibilities. Lehmann resigned as head coach shortly after the incident, although he was cleared of direct involvement or prior knowledge of the sandpaper plan.
Cricket Australia’s investigation had concluded that the three players were the only individuals with prior knowledge of the plot. The organisation has now reiterated that it remains comfortable with the findings of its original investigation, while remaining open to considering any new relevant information.
The fresh allegations have once again brought one of Australian cricket’s biggest controversies into the
