David Warner has broken his eight-year silence and stated it is 100 percent accurate that every Australian player knew of the 2018 sandpaper plot.
The former Test vice-captain gave his full support to Usman Khawaja in a social media video shared on Monday evening.
Khawaja wrote in his autobiography, Sabr, that teammates should accept collective responsibility for the Cape Town ball-tampering incident. The release has revived intense public scrutiny on Test captain Pat Cummins and other members of the squad who were on the field during the South Africa tour.
Warner described Cricket Australia’s initial investigation into the scandal as rushed and botched. In his social media address, he endorsed Khawaja’s published accounts, stating that the public finally knows the truth about what transpired during the series. Khawaja revealed in his book that he felt teammates were left to shoulder the brunt of the punishment unfairly.
The book revealed Warner’s frustration at the 2021 media statement issued by the bowlers who played in the match, including Cummins, claiming they did not know a foreign substance was taken onto the field to alter the condition of the ball until images appeared on the big screen at Newlands.
“I thank you for what you've done. It's a hundred percent accurate what you've said. Now everyone knows the truth,” former Test vice-captain David Warner said.
Test captain Pat Cummins is expected to face questioning this week. Former Australia captain Mark Taylor told Channel Nine that he was disappointed Khawaja chose to revisit the controversy, warning that it will overshadow the upcoming summer.
Cricket Australia responded to the publication by defending its original handling of the matter. A spokesperson stated that all relevant information presented to the governing body has been properly considered and that officials remain comfortable with the findings of the integrity process.
Khawaja stated in his social media videos that when the other players received their penalties, he told Steve Smith that he intended to come clean to the media because he could not believe the penalties Smith received. According to Khawaja, Smith talked him out of it because Smith wanted to take the blame himself.