David Warner Questions Cricket Australia's Investigation into 2018 Ball-Tampering Scandal

David Warner has publicly challenged Cricket Australia regarding their investigation into the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, expressing concerns over the lack of interviews with key bowlers. He believes that the investigation was flawed and suggests that CA may have predetermined the narrative. Warner's comments come amid ongoing discussions about the scandal's impact on players, including his support for Usman Khawaja, who has made controversial claims in his autobiography. This situation continues to evoke strong emotions as Warner reflects on the personal toll the scandal has taken on him and his family.

By Narendra Chaudhary Nov 15, 2026, 10:50 IST

Warner's Concerns Over Investigation

Former Australian cricketer David Warner has once again expressed his doubts regarding the evidence presented by Cricket Australia (CA) in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal. He stated that he was never informed about any interviews conducted with the bowlers during the investigation, which he believes could have been crucial information for him.

Warner previously criticized CA's inquiry into the scandal, suggesting that it may have been flawed to support a narrative that the bowlers were unaware of the incident. He raised these concerns in an Instagram post, claiming that bowlers Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon were not interviewed during the investigation.

"To my knowledge, CA did not interview Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, or Nathan Lyon in their 2018 investigation. If that is indeed the case, how can CA assert that the bowlers were oblivious? It appears they had predetermined who to blame and conducted a subpar investigation to fit that narrative, which seems like a cover-up," Warner stated in his post.

Clarifying his earlier comments, Warner emphasized that he was never informed about any interviews with the bowlers or their statements post-scandal. He remarked, "Just to clarify, 'As far as I am aware' was the key point. I was never told that the bowlers had been interviewed or had provided statements. This information would have been extremely useful when I had to make decisions back in 2018. Why wasn't all the evidence shared with us by CA?"

Warner also criticized Australian Test captain Pat Cummins for his remarks regarding Usman Khawaja's autobiography, which made explosive claims about the 2018 scandal. Cummins denied Khawaja's assertions during a press conference, labeling them as "utter nonsense" and accused him of being "casual and flippant" in his storytelling, which he believed harmed the reputations of his teammates.

In support of Khawaja, Warner stated, "I still stand by Uzzie and what he has written in that book... It is the truth, and I fully support him. I feel that the captain threw Uzzie under the bus, and I am very disappointed about that."

Warner reflected on the consequences faced by himself, former captain Steve Smith, and Cameron Bancroft, who received significant suspensions due to the incident. He noted, "All three of us have paid a heavy price for this. We have to live with these consequences daily, and it feels like a life sentence. When others discuss their experiences, nothing compares to what Steve, Cameron, and I endure every day."

He added, "We receive abuse, and we accept it. However, my wife and I have paid the highest price—we lost a baby during this time. That is why this situation hurts me the most until the truth is acknowledged."