Usman Khawaja has reportedly cancelled his remaining TV and radio interviews promoting his autobiography Sabr amid the fallout from his explosive Sandpapergate claims.
Publisher Penguin notified media outlets of the cancellations on Wednesday morning, according to News Corp, after Khawaja was grilled by Sarah Ferguson on ABC’s 7.30.
Khawaja was reportedly concerned further interviews would be dominated by the scandal, overshadowing the rest of his book.
During Tuesday night’s interview, he had already signalled he would not discuss his allegations further.
‘I’ve talked on social media about this and I’ve written in my book, that’s my statement, that’s what it is, and I’m not going to really speak on any more of it at this moment in time,’ he said.
The former Australian opener claimed on Saturday the entire team knew about the 2018 ball-tampering scheme in Cape Town, challenging Cricket Australia‘s finding that only Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft had prior knowledge.
Former Australian batsman Usman Khawaja has reportedly cancelled his remaining media appearances to promote his new book Sabr
Khawaja faced repeated questions about Sandpapergate during his interview with Sarah Ferguson
The former Australian opener’s autobiography has reignited debate over the 2018 scandal
He also alleged sandpaper had been used during the previous Test at Port Elizabeth, now known as Gqeberha.
‘It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us,’ he said ahead of the book’s release.
Khawaja, who retired this year after 88 Tests, dedicates a chapter of his autobiography to the scandal.
Ferguson opened the interview by asking about Warner’s support for Khawaja’s account and his claim that any ‘lies will eventually get out’.
‘What lies is he talking about?’ she asked.
‘I’m not going to speak on behalf of Davey,’ Khawaja replied.
‘I’ve tried my best to tell my story in an open and safe environment.’
Khawaja maintained that the team should have taken collective responsibility.
Khawaja says Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft carried the blame for the Australian team
Warner has backed Usman Khawaja’s account of Sandpapergate as ‘100 per cent accurate’
‘All I’ve ever wanted is for us to take accountability as a team, and I don’t think that’s a lot to say.
‘I’m not asking a lot from people and I say, “We were a part of it. That was us”. Let’s just take accountability.
‘I was here to tell my truth, what I saw, what I felt, and to stick with those three guys who were made out to be the only people who have taken it [accountability].’
Asked whether Pat Cummins knew about the sandpaper, Khawaja said: ‘I’m not going to answer that.’
He added: ‘I’ve written what I’ve written in my book. I’ve come out and stood by those three guys and told my account of what I saw.’
Cummins and fellow bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon publicly denied in 2021 that they knew about it.
Smith, Warner and Bancroft were sent home following the Cape Town scandal.
Smith was banned for a year and sacked as captain, Warner received a 12-month suspension and was stripped of his leadership roles, and Bancroft was banned for nine months.
Khawaja declined to answer whether Pat Cummins had prior knowledge of the sandpaper
Bancroft was caught on camera using sandpaper during the third Test against South Africa
Smith, Warner and Bancroft were suspended following the Cape Town scandal
Khawaja told Ferguson he did not believe the punishments were appropriate and argued that accepting responsibility together could have produced a different outcome.
‘I don’t believe the whole team would have got a ban if we went in together,’ he said.
‘I think it would have been shared. It’s very hard to ban the whole team.’
He also rejected suggestions he had timed his disclosures to drive book sales.
Khawaja told Ferguson that sandpaper had not been discussed when he signed his publishing deal in 2023. He said his manager and publisher only learned about the chapter six months ago.
‘Even when I gave it to them six months ago, they were shocked because I don’t really talk about this to anyone,’ he said.
He also defended waiting until retirement to publish his account.
‘The reason I felt more comfortable saying it now is because I don’t speak for the team anymore,’ he said.
‘If I try to come out and do it while I’m still on the team, they have to look at me every day. We have to go operate as a team.’
In a fresh statement following the interview, Cricket Australia acknowledged the investigation had been conducted quickly.
‘The three players who received bans after the Cape Town Test acknowledged their breaches and accepted the penalties imposed,’ a spokesperson told Nine newspapers.
‘We have acknowledged that the investigation was conducted in a short timeframe given the impending Test match and that there are varying opinions about some matters including the length of the sanctions imposed. We respect that players have different recollections of events from this time.
‘But we remain comfortable the investigation’s findings accurately reflect the statements and evidence provided at the time.’
Chief executive Todd Greenberg has ruled out reopening the investigation.