Cricket Australia rules out reopening 2018 sandpaper investigation

Cricket Australia has refused to reopen the investigation into the controversial ball-tampering scandal, as fresh revelations continue to divide opinion across the sport.

The controversy surrounding the 2018 Sandpapergate scandal has erupted once more following the release of Usman Khawaja's autobiography, titled Sabr, on Tuesday.

Media additions

According to primary reporting from Cricbuzz, Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg addressed the backlash during an interview on SEN radio on Tuesday. Greenberg maintained that the governing body remains comfortable with the outcome of the original inquiry and sees no compelling reason to revisit the matter. Greenberg said there was no benefit in going back, noting that it was the position of the CA board and time to look ahead, as reported by Fox Sports.

The original investigation followed the third Test in Cape Town against South Africa in March 2018, when television cameras captured Cameron Bancroft using yellow sandpaper on the ball. That inquiry resulted in 12-month bans for captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner, alongside a nine-month suspension for Bancroft.

Khawaja's account challenges the narrative accepted during that inquiry. In his book, he claims the discussions about scuffing the ball were open and lighthearted. Furthermore, Khawaja expressed shock that he was never formally interviewed by investigators despite sitting next to Bancroft through the Cape Town Test. Speaking to Nine, Khawaja stated that responsibility fell upon the entire squad rather than just isolated individuals, noting that it was all of us, not just the batters, bowlers, or staff.

Individual / Group	Stance on Team-Wide Knowledge	Key Action / Statement
Usman Khawaja	Widespread knowledge across the entire team	Published autobiography Sabr detailing team involvement
David Warner	Full support of Khawaja's version	Described original CA inquiry as rushed and botched via social media
Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon	Denied prior knowledge	Issued a joint statement in 2021 denying awareness of foreign substances
Cricket Australia (Todd Greenberg)	Stands by original findings	Ruled out a fresh probe, stating differing accounts yield no new outcomes

The release of the book has sharply divided former players and administrators. David Warner offered public backing to his former teammate on social media, describing Khawaja's claims as 100 percent accurate, while labeling the original board investigation as rushed and botched, according to reporting by Aol. Conversely, Australia's star bowling quartet—Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon—have remained steadfast in the position they outlined in a joint statement in 2021, maintaining they had no prior knowledge of the plot. Mitchell Starc reiterated this stance to the media on Tuesday, noting that his recollection of the events at Newlands has not changed.

External commentators and former captains have also weighed in on the impasse. As detailed by The Sydney Morning Herald, former captain Michael Clarke criticized the lack of clarity, arguing that Australian fans deserve the full truth before the chapter can truly close.

Greenberg dismissed the utility of launching another inquiry, telling Rediff on Tuesday that investigators would merely end up at the same intersection where conflicting personal accounts cancel each other out. He added that players were urged to come forward during the initial probe and retained opportunities to speak over the subsequent eight years.

Amid accusations from critics that the timing of the book release was commercially driven to boost sales, Khawaja strongly rejected those suggestions on Instagram on Tuesday. He clarified that he did not negotiate financial terms around the sandpaper revelations with his publisher, Penguin Random House, and did not write the book for monetary gain.

What to Watch Next

• Cricket Australia maintains its refusal to instigate any formal review, signaling that disciplinary findings from the 2018 proceedings will remain unchanged.