Warner: Khawaja '100% accurate' on 2018 ball-tampering scandal

David Warner has thrown his full support behind Usman Khawaja, declaring the former teammate’s recent revelations about the 2018 ball-tampering scandal to be "100% accurate." According to BBC News ^[1], Warner stated in a video message that Khawaja’s account of the incident, where the Australian team used sandpaper to alter the ball, is entirely correct. "Now everyone knows the truth," Warner said, ending eight years of public silence on the topic.

The controversy resurfaced after Khawaja claimed in his new book, Sabr, that the entire Australian squad was aware of the plan to use sandpaper during the third Test against South Africa. ABC News (AU) reported ^[2] that Warner, who served as vice-captain at the time, emphasized that Khawaja was not interviewed during the initial Cricket Australia investigation. "Uzzie was sitting next to Cameron Bancroft... Uzzie was not interviewed. How that is a thorough investigation? It baffles me," Warner said, labeling the process "rushed and botched."

Warner, Steve Smith, and Cameron Bancroft were banned for the incident, with Smith and Warner receiving one-year suspensions and Bancroft nine months. Warner noted that his delayed response was due to the need to explain the situation to his daughters, particularly his 12-year-old daughter Ivy, who had witnessed the emotional fallout on television. "I've had to tell them exactly what had happened," Warner explained, highlighting the personal toll of the scandal.

While Warner was the first of the banned trio to speak publicly, the reaction from Smith and Bancroft remains unseen. The former captain Steve Smith and fellow batter Cameron Bancroft have yet to address Khawaja’s claims, according to ABC News (AU) ^[2]. The situation raises questions about potential official action from Cricket Australia, which has not yet issued a formal response to the renewed scrutiny.

Warner stressed that his comments were not about pointing fingers but ensuring accountability. "We're not here to point fingers and we're not opening old wounds," he said. "It's about accountability, transparency ensuring that the truth is properly examined." He criticized the media narratives that had persisted over the last eight years, suggesting many had stayed silent while inaccuracies circulated. With Khawaja’s book bringing the issue back into the spotlight, the cricket world awaits the next chapter in this long-standing saga.