Khawaja recently claimed that the entire Australian team was aware of ball-tampering plot in 2018.
Former Australia opener David Warner has broken his eight-year silence on the "Sandpapergate" scandal, throwing his full support behind Usman Khawaja's explosive revelations.
Khawaja recently took the cricketing world by storm by claiming that the entire touring party was well aware of the ball-tampering plot and that the Australian team had successfully used sandpaper on the ball a game prior to the infamous Cape Town Test in 2018.
The southpaw is set to detail his explosive allegations in his upcoming autobiography, Sabr. While the book will be published on November 10, Khawaja – in an interview with the Nine papers – explicitly rejected the long-held assertion that only Steven Smith, Warner, and Cameron Bancroft were involved in the scandal.
Notably, Smith and Warner had received 12-month bans from Cricket Australia, while Bancroft was suspended for nine months after being caught using sandpaper on the ball during the Newlands Test against South Africa.
Warner, who was Test vice-captain at the time, was handed an additional penalty of being banned from all leadership positions in international and Australian domestic cricket for life. That ban was lifted by Cricket Australia in October 2024, which enabled him to captain Sydney Thunder in the BBL.
Khawaja and Warner grew up playing cricket together in Sydney. Khawaja noted that one of his primary motivators for finally telling the truth was a promise to Warner to help secure long-overdue justice for the three players who were heavily sanctioned.
Taking to Instagram, Warner on Monday (November 9) wrote: "Some things are bigger than cricket. This isn’t about reopening old wounds. It’s about acknowledging that some wounds never properly healed. I stand with my brother Usman Khawaja. Speaking your truth takes courage, especially when people would rather you stay silent. Time passing doesn’t replace accountability, and asking questions shouldn’t be mistaken for holding grudges. Respect, honesty and accountability. That’s all anyone can ask for."
Alongside this written text, Warner released a video message confirming that Khawaja’s version of events is "100 per cent accurate" and slammed the original 2018 Cricket Australia integrity investigation as a "rushed and botched" process.
"It's been eight years since I've spoken on this topic. And Uzzie (Usman Khawaja), I throw my full support behind you. I thank you for what you've done. It's 100% accurate what you've said. Now everyone knows the truth. It's out there. People wanted to know it; you've come out and said it, and now people are saying, 'Why eight years on?' Talking about selling a book—this is Usman's story. This is what Usman believes," Warner said.
"Now, this whole interview process was rushed and botched. Uzzie was sitting next to Cameron Bancroft; Uzzie was not interviewed. How is that a thorough investigation? It baffles me. We're not here to point fingers, and we're not opening our wounds. It's about accountability, transparency, ensuring that the truth is properly examined. And perhaps it's time people stop scrutinising the person asking for accountability and start asking those responsible for the investigation to provide it," he added.
The former Australia opener also reflected on the toll the scandal took on his family, including explaining the public fallout and television tears to his children.
"Now, there were a lot of statements and inaccuracies over the last eight years that were out in the media by people, and there were a lot of people who stayed silent. The last couple of days, I've had to be—I've been talking to my daughters, and that's why it's taken me a couple of days to get this out, because I've had to tell them exactly what had happened. Especially my 12-year-old, Ivy, wanting to know why we were holding her, why there were so many cameras, why we were crying on TV," Warner stated.
"That was a hard thing to do. But one thing I did say is, 'Girls, tell the truth, because lies will eventually get out.' It was a very tough time. This is for everyone in Australia. It's been—it's been the question that everyone's been asking. Uzzie, you've said it how it is. It's 100% accurate," he further remarked.
Warner reaffirmed support for Khawaja while acknowledging the difficulty faced by his family and those of Smith and Bancroft.
"It's been a tough time for my family, Steve and Cameron no doubt, but this is what needed to come out. I fully support that, Uzzie," he concluded.