Photo via Al Jazeera

Usman Khawaja’s ‘Sandpapergate’ claims are ‘accurate’, says David Warner

Read the original at Al Jazeera ↗
Cite

Reuters. (2026, November 9). Usman Khawaja’s ‘Sandpapergate’ claims are ‘accurate’, says David Warner. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/11/9/usman-khawajas-sandpapergate-claims-are-accurate-says-david-warner?traffic_source=rss

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

Al Jazeera · collected 2026-11-09 · by Reuters

Quick Summary

David Warner supports Usman Khawaja’s claims that the entire 2018 Australia cricket team was aware of plans to tamper with the ball using sandpaper during a Test match in South Africa. In a social media post, Warner stated that Khawaja’s assertions were “100 percent accurate” and criticized Cricket Australia for conducting an incomplete investigation that did not interview key players like Khawaja himself. The article highlights Warner and Khawaja's push for accountability and transparency regarding the incident, while Cricket Australia maintains its original findings that only Smith, Warner, and Bancroft had prior knowledge of the tampering plan.
Written by AI on 2026-11-09, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Usman Khawaja is fully supported by former teammate David Warner in his account of the 2018 Australia ball-tampering scandal, where sandpaper was used to alter a cricket ball during a Test match against South Africa in Cape Town. Warner, who retired from international cricket in 2024, stated on Instagram that Khawaja's claims are "100% accurate," despite previous denials by bowlers regarding their knowledge of the plan. Warner also criticized the investigation process following the incident as being rushed and botched, with he and captain Steve Smith receiving a one-year ban while batter Cameron Bancroft faced nine months of suspension.

Written for “Warner Defends Ball-Tampering Claims” on 2026-11-09, grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political question, so it has no leaning score. That is an answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political position.
No political leaning scored for article 138123 · logged 2026-11-09

Story

Warner Defends Ball-Tampering Claims
Sports · 3 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 11% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
BBC News
Hedges 0 of 10 claims Outlet record 66/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
19
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
11%
2 of 19 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
60/100
Al Jazeera's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
3
Sports
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-09 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Al Jazeera · 5215 article(s) · 4 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 4 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Reuters
978 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
Video circulated on social media, which Reuters could not immediately verify, showed residents using hammers to break large sandy rocks and others removing sand with shovels before bodies wrapped in blankets and fabric sheeting, stained with blood, were pulled out.
She has told Reuters she plans to return to surrender before a court, and her aides said on Monday the date would be announced once various formalities were completed.
U.S. President Donald Trump will meet the Prime Minister of key mediator Qatar on Monday (November 9, 2026) as efforts to end the Iran war ramp up following last week's midterm elections, though senior U.S. and Gulf officials cast doubt on the chances of an imminent deal.
On Sunday, he added that he had chosen to speak about the ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal now after promising childhood friend Warner that he would share his side of the story.
What will happen if it rains again the next day?
US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was “only kidding” when he suggested Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Chief Executive Officer Dana White could become his next White House press secretary, after a social media post a day earlier stirred speculation about recruiting his feisty ally and signalled a combative approach to dealing with Democrats as they prepare to take control of Congress.
She has told Reuters she plans to return to surrender before a court, and her aides said on Monday the date would be announced once various formalities were completed.
What will happen if it rains again the next day?
Also Read: The roots of Europe’s refugee crisis The coast guard rescued another 18 people from the boat about 15 nautical miles off the port of Kaloi Limenes and dozens of others in two other incidents off Crete, a coast guard official said, adding that they will all be taken ashore.
Mercedes, whose engines also power McLaren, have now equalled Williams’ nine constructors championships.
Wire or desk byline, not an individual reporter.
Also by Reuters
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 978 articles by Reuters →

Topics

Australian Cape Town Cricket Australia Instagram South Africa

Subjects

Warner PERSON · 7× Khawaja PERSON · 5× Australian NORP · 4× Cricket Australia ORG · 4× Cameron Bancroft PERSON · 2× Uzzie PERSON · 2× David Warner PERSON · 1× South Africa GPE · 1× Steve Smith PERSON · 1× Usman Khawaja PERSON · 1×

Narrative

“It’s about accountability, transparency and ensuring the truth is properly examined and perhaps it’s time people stop scrutinising the person asking for accountability and start asking those responsible of the investigation to provide it.”
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-09
On Sunday, he added that he had chosen to speak about the ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal now after promising childhood friend Warner that he would share his side of the story.

Claims (19 extracted, 2 hedged)

Former Australian cricketer David Warner has backed up claims made by former teammate Usman Khawaja, who said that their entire team had been aware of the plan to tamper with the ball during a 2018 Test tour of South Africa. uncertain
team → back → Africa
Warner spoke about the scandal, which continues to reverberate six years on, in a social media post on Monday, saying that Khawaja’s comments were “100 percent accurate”. asserted
comments → speak → Monday
The former Australian opener and fellow batters Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft were banned over the plan to rough up the ball with sandpaper during the third Test at Newlands in Cape Town in 2018. asserted
opener → ban → 2018
In a video posted on Instagram, Warner thanked Khawaja and said the investigation by Cricket Australia into the incident was flawed. asserted
investigation → post → incident
“This whole interview process was rushed and botched,” added Warner, who retired from international cricket in 2024. asserted
who → rush → 2024
“Uzzie was sitting next to Cameron Bancroft. asserted
Uzzie → sit → Bancroft
Uzzie was not interviewed. asserted
Uzzie → interview → ?
It baffles me.” asserted
It → baffle → me
In an excerpt from his autobiography released on Saturday, Khawaja said “open, lighthearted discussions” about tampering were not confined to batters, bowlers or staff but extended throughout the team. asserted
discussions → release → team
On Sunday, he added that he had chosen to speak about the ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal now after promising childhood friend Warner that he would share his side of the story. asserted
he → add → story
Cricket Australia has not commented on the statement issued by Warner, who said that he and Khawaja were looking for accountability. asserted
he → comment → accountability
“We’re not here to point fingers and we’re not opening old wounds,” added the 40-year-old. asserted
old → ’re → wounds
“It’s about accountability, transparency and ensuring the truth is properly examined and perhaps it’s time people stop scrutinising the person asking for accountability and start asking those responsible of the investigation to provide it.” asserted
people → ’ → it
“Now, there was a lot of statements and inaccuracies over the last eight years that were put out in the media by people and there were a lot of people who stayed silent,” Warner said. asserted
Warner → be → people
Last week, Cricket Australia defended its 2018 probe which concluded that prior knowledge of the plot was confined to Smith, Warner and Bancroft. asserted
knowledge → defend → Smith
“All relevant information presented to [Cricket Australia] to date has been properly considered and we remain comfortable with the findings of our integrity process,” it said in a statement on Saturday. asserted
it → present → Saturday
“There has been the ongoing opportunity to present any relevant information, and this remains the case.” asserted
this → present → information
The four Australian bowlers who played in the 2018 Test – Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon – issued a joint statement in 2021 denying any knowledge of the plot. asserted
who → play → plot
Cummins, now the Australian Test captain, said last month he had spoken with Khawaja about the upcoming release of his autobiography and dismissed suggestions that the book could trigger further fallout. uncertain
book → say → fallout
Give feedback · no sign-in needed

No sign-in needed for now. Your note is sent without a name, so it cannot be answered.

History Support