'Best Left Unsaid': Darren Lehmann Slams Khawaja's Ball-Tampering Bombshell
Former coach Darren Lehmann hits back at Usman Khawaja's claims that the entire Australian team was involved in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
The ghosts of the 2018 "Sandpaper-gate" have returned to haunt Australian cricket. Former head coach Darren Lehmann has voiced his disapproval after retired batter Usman Khawaja made explosive claims suggesting that the entire Australian squad and support staff were complicit in the infamous ball-tampering scandal during the South Africa tour.
For years, the official narrative maintained by Cricket Australia (CA) was that the conspiracy was limited to Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft. The trio faced severe consequences, with Smith and Warner serving 12-month bans and Bancroft receiving a nine-month suspension. However, Khawaja has now shattered that version of events, asserting that the responsibility was collective.
Khawaja's Bombshell: Collective Guilt?
In a revelation that has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world, Khawaja claimed that the whole team was aware of the tampering. He stated that he had expected the truth to surface over the last eight years and spoke out now to ensure that Smith, Warner, and Bancroft were not left to shoulder the blame alone.
These claims come just ahead of the release of Khawaja's autobiography, titled 'Sabr', scheduled for publication this Tuesday.
Lehmann Hits Back: 'Books are there to sell'
Speaking on ABC Grandstand, Darren Lehmann—who resigned as head coach in the wake of the scandal—did not hold back his frustration. He described the morning as "eventful" and admitted that the news brought back "really bad memories" of a dark day for Australian cricket.
Lehmann questioned the timing and motivation behind Khawaja's claims, suggesting they were driven by the commercial interests of a book launch.
"Books are there to sell. He is retired... I do not know what he is getting paid. He is probably getting paid a lot of money to do it. Is it worth it? I do not know," Lehmann remarked. "Sometimes things are best left unsaid sometimes for the good of the game, and the good of the people."
A 'Bad Place' for Families
The former coach expressed deep sympathy for the families of those involved, noting that reopening these wounds is far from ideal at the start of the cricket summer. Lehmann revealed that he himself required significant help behind the scenes to cope with the aftermath of the incident.
When asked if Khawaja had called for collective responsibility at the time of the scandal in 2018, Lehmann stated he had no recollection of such a request. He noted that during the Cape Town Test, there were multiple meetings and separate change rooms, making it difficult to recall every interaction.
Pressure on the Bowling Attack
Khawaja's claims have cast a new shadow over Australia's premier bowling attack. In 2021, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood issued a joint statement denying they knew a foreign substance was being used to alter the ball's condition. Along with spinner Nathan Lyon, these players now find themselves under renewed scrutiny.
Lehmann remained non-committal about the bowlers' knowledge, stating, "How much did they know? Only they know individually." While he acknowledged that ball tampering has been a part of the game for 150 years, he disputed the idea that every single person in the 2018 camp was aware of the specific plot.