David Warner Critiques Cricket Australia's Handling of Sandpapergate Scandal

David Warner has reignited discussions surrounding the 2018 Sandpapergate scandal by criticizing Cricket Australia's investigation. Supporting Usman Khawaja's claims of widespread knowledge of the incident, Warner questions the integrity of the probe, particularly the lack of interviews with key bowlers. His comments have sparked a heated debate on social media, with fans divided over the investigation's credibility and Warner's timing. Meanwhile, Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg has ruled out reopening the investigation, stating there is no compelling reason to do so. This ongoing controversy continues to raise questions about accountability within the Australian cricket team.

By Narendra Chaudhary Nov 14, 2026, 12:00 IST

Warner's Renewed Criticism of Cricket Australia

David Warner, the former captain of Australia and a dynamic opening batsman, is not ready to let the infamous 2018 Newlands Sandpapergate scandal fade into history. He has recently criticized Cricket Australia’s investigation into the ball-tampering incident once again.

The controversy resurfaced after Usman Khawaja claimed in his new book, 'Sabr', that many within the Australian team were aware of the ball-tampering. Warner supported Khawaja's assertions, labeling them as '100% accurate' and condemned the investigation by Cricket Australia as 'rushed and botched.'

Cummins Defends the Bowling Attack

During a press conference in Sydney, Pat Cummins, the captain of the Australian Test and ODI teams, firmly rejected Khawaja's allegations, calling them 'complete and utter nonsense.' He insisted that the bowlers had no prior knowledge of any tampering activities.

Also Read: Pat Cummins Dismisses Legal Action Against Usman Khawaja Over Book

Warner Questions Investigation Integrity

Warner, who faced a one-year ban alongside then-captain Steve Smith for his involvement in the scandal, took to Instagram to criticize Cricket Australia for their inadequate investigation into the 2018 incident.

He questioned how the board could clear the bowling unit of any wrongdoing when key bowlers like Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon were not formally interviewed during the inquiry into the Sandpapergate scandal, which shook the cricket community during Australia's 2018 tour of South Africa.

"As far as I know, CA did not interview Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, or Mitchell Starc in their 2018 investigation. If that's true, how can CA claim the bowlers were unaware?" Warner stated on Instagram.

"It seems they had predetermined who to blame from the start, conducted a poor investigation to fit that narrative, and now they want to uphold the false story that the bowlers had no knowledge. That reeks of a cover-up," he added.

Warner's Comments Ignite Social Media Debate

Warner's recent remarks have ignited discussions on social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), where fans and cricket followers are questioning the credibility of Cricket Australia's investigation.

Many users expressed their opinions, with some accusing Cricket Australia of shielding senior bowlers, while others wondered why these players were not interviewed during the investigation.

Critics also questioned Warner's timing, suggesting that he should have raised these issues during the original investigation rather than nearly eight years later. Some argued that he was reopening a matter that the team had seemingly moved past.

Cricket Australia CEO Responds

In response to the renewed scrutiny, Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg stated on November 10 that there was 'no compelling reason' to reopen the investigation into the 2018 scandal.

Also Read: Mitchell Marsh Moves On From 2018 Ball Tampering Scandal Revelations