Overview
- On Monday, November 9, 2026, former opener David Warner posted an Instagram video saying Usman Khawaja’s recent account of the 2018 ball‑tampering scandal is “100 per cent accurate.”
- Excerpts from Khawaja’s autobiography Sabr, serialised by the Sydney Morning Herald, say the entire touring party of players and staff knew about using sandpaper and that Khawaja was never interviewed in the original probe.
- Warner criticised the 2018 integrity process as rushed and incomplete, noting that Khawaja sat beside Cameron Bancroft in the dressing room yet was not questioned by investigators.
- Cricket Australia has reiterated it remains comfortable with its 2018 findings that led to 12‑month bans for Steve Smith and David Warner and a nine‑month suspension for Cameron Bancroft while saying it will consider any new relevant information; no new independent evidence has been made public.
- The public backing from a high‑profile participant raises reputational stakes for individuals and for CA, could prompt calls for greater transparency or review of the original inquiry, and will prolong scrutiny of how the punishments were assigned and how families of those involved were affected.