Retired Aussie cricketer Usman Khawaja has emphatically denied using the ball-tampering scandal to drive up book sales, declaring: ‘I don’t need the money.’
Khawaja has come under fire from some quarters over the bombshell ‘sandpapergate’ revelations in his memoir Sabr, which was released on Tuesday.
Included in Khawaja’s claims was that the entire Australian team knew of the use of sandpaper during a 2018 Test against South Africa in Cape Town, and that it had been used in the previous match.
Former teammate and recently dropped Test opener Nic Maddinson this week labelled the situation as ‘disappointing’ and suggested Khawaja has ‘books to sell’.
But Khawaja has insisted he wanted to spill on the saga as part of a promise to David Warner, who was initially painted as the architect of the ball-tampering plot.
Khawaja also claimed that Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft had been victims, with a Cricket Australia investigation finding that only those three were aware of the plan.
The former Test opener took to Instagram on Tuesday to insist that there had been no deal with publisher Penguin to include a chapter on the 2018 saga in the book.
‘I did not negotiate a thing with Penguin when it came to sandpaper or any other topics in my life,’ Khawaja said.
Usman Khawaja (pictured with wife Rachel) emphatically denied using the ball-tampering scandal to drive up sales for his newly-released memoir
Khawaja (right) claimed was that the entire Australian team knew of the use of sandpaper during a 2018 Test against South Africa in Cape Town. He’s pictured with Steve Smith, who was one of three players suspended over the incident
‘We didn’t even talk about it.
‘I signed with them in 2023 and all they said to me was tell your story and I had total control of everything that went in and went out. It was all on me.
‘Just over two years later I handed them my final draft. This was the first time I showed them my book. Penguin was shocked. My management was shocked.’
Khawaja insisted he stood to make little extra out of his memoir even with strong sales, and he would likely have made the same amount of money without bringing up the scandal.
‘Before you even start to think about royalties and book sales, I have to sell so many books for royalties to kick in,’ he said.
‘I don’t think I will ever get there. And even if it does, it’s pennies.
‘With all due respect guys, I played cricket for a long time. I am very fortunate. I don’t need the money.
‘This has never been about commercial gain, so whatever you want to feel that’s up to you, but these are the facts.’
The retired cricketer has doubled down after he came under fire from over the bombshell ‘sandpapergate’ revelations in his memoir Sabr, which was released on Tuesday
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Khawaja is expected to address the saga on ABC’s 7.30 on Tuesday night.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg on Tuesday ruled out calls by Aussie cricket legend Jason Gillespie to reopen an investigation into the scandal, believing players would never agree on the facts.
Several players have denied any prior knowledge of the use of sandpaper by Bancroft on the ball during the 2018 Cape Town Test, including Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon.
Beyond the ball-tampering saga, Khawaja also writes of being abused with a racial slur in the Lord’s long room during the controversial 2023 Ashes Test.
