Sydney, November 13,2026: Former Australia opener David Warner has reiterated his support for Usman Khawaja after captain Pat Cummins dismissed the latter’s claim that the entire team knew about the use of sandpaper during the infamous 2018 Cape Town Test as “complete and utter nonsense”.
Warner criticised Cummins’ 69-minute media appearance on Friday, accusing the Australian captain of throwing Khawaja “under the bus” with his remarks.
“I still stick by Uzzy and what he’s written in that book, because it is the truth, and I really, really support him,” Warner told Fox Sports on the sidelines of the first ODI between Australia and England in Perth.
“I actually feel for him at the moment. I actually feel that today, the captain threw Uzzy under the bus, and I’m very, very disappointed about that,” he added.
Warner was among the three Australian players sanctioned after Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball during the third Test against South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town, in 2018.
Responding to Cummins’ remarks, Warner recalled the significant consequences he, Steve Smith and Bancroft faced in the aftermath of the ball-tampering scandal.
“All three of us have paid a big price in this thing. I hadn’t spoken about it in eight years, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to live with these consequences daily,” Warner said.
“We’ve been served a life punishment. When other people talk about [how] they’ve been affected by it, there’s nothing worse for me, Steve and Cam, who have to walk out there every day and we cop abuse.
“Yes, we accepted it, but at the end of the day, my wife and I paid the greatest price. We lost a baby during that time. That’s why it really hurts me the most until the truth is accepted,” he added.
While Warner has publicly backed Khawaja’s account, current Australian players, including Mitchell Starc, Cummins and Mitchell Marsh, have maintained their positions on the matter.
Meanwhile, Smith and Bancroft are yet to publicly comment on the latest developments surrounding the 2018 ball-tampering controversy.
