David Warner has come out in support of Usman Khawaja’s claims that the entire Australia team and coaching staff were aware of the 2018 sandpaper scandal.

The former opener also claimed the investigation held by Cricket Australia in the aftermath of the ball-tampering controversy was “rushed and botched”.

“It’s been eight years since I’ve spoken on this topic, and Uzzi [Usman Khawaja], I throw my full support behind you,” Warner, 40, said on in a video on Instagram.

“I thank you for what you’ve done. It’s 100 per cent accurate what you’ve said. Now everyone knows the truth. It’s out there.”

For exclusive stories and all the detailed cricket news you need, subscribe to The Cricket Paper website, digital edition, or newspaper from as little as 14p a day

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Warner (@davidwarner31)

Knowledge concealed

It was during an ill-tempered series against South Africa when television cameras clearly caught fielder Cameron Bancroft using sandpaper to help generate reverse swing during the third Test in Cape Town.

Australia captain Steve Smith and his deputy Warner were subsequently banned for a year, while the more junior Bancroft served nine months.

Until last week nobody else involved in the tour had ever admitted culpability, responsibility or even knowledge of what was happening.

The bowling unit of Pat Cummins – now Australia captain – Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon even released a statement in 2021 denying they knew anything about the illegal tactic.

Former Australia coach Darren Lehmann denied Khawaja’s claims of widespread knowledge of the sandpaper plot, but acknowledged that ball-tampering was a “big part” of international cricket during the period.

All of us

But Khawaja’s bombshell autobiography, Sabr, and his interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, have reignited the controversy.

“It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us,” the 39-year-old told the Sydney Morning Herald, which is serialising the book.

It is reported the book also includes an admission that the same tactic was used in the previous Test at Gqeberha and that he was never interviewed by Cricket Australia in their subsequent investigation.

Warner finally broke his silence on Monday, saying: “People wanted to know it, you’ve come out and said it, and now people are saying, ‘Why eight years on?’ and talking about selling a book.

“This is Usman’s story. This is what Usman believes. Uzzi wrote down every single thing from that day on. Uzzi, thank you.

“Now, this whole interview process was rushed and botched.

“Uzzi was sitting next to Cameron Bancroft. Uzzi was not interviewed. How is that a thorough investigation? It baffles me.

Accountability

He continued: “We’re not here to point fingers and we’re not opening old wounds.

“It’s about accountability, transparency and ensuring that the truth is properly examined.

“Perhaps it’s time people stop scrutinising the person asking for accountability and start asking those responsible for the investigation to provide it.

“Now, there have been a lot of statements and inaccuracies over the last eight years that were out in the media by people and there were a lot of people who stayed silent.

“The last couple of days I’ve been talking to my daughters and that’s why it’s taken me a couple of days to get this out, because I’ve had to tell them exactly what happened.

“Especially my 12-year-old Ivy, who wanted to know why we were holding her, why there were so many cameras and why we were crying on TV.

“That was a hard thing to do.

“But one thing I did say was, ‘Girls, tell the truth, because lies will eventually come out’. It’s a very tough time.

“This is for everyone in Australia. It’s been the question that everyone’s been asking. Uzzi, you said it how it is. It’s 100 per cent accurate.

“It’s been a tough time for my family, Steven and Cameron, no doubt, but this is what needed to come out. I fully support that, Uzzi.”

Coming clean

Khawaja also revealed that he had tried to get the Australian team to share collective responsibility in the days after the event, only for Steve Smith to talk him out of doing so.

He claimed he then spoke to former Australia coach Justin Langer about coming clean in 2021 when the story resurfaced in the media.

“I was always conscious of putting my team first, but I’m not in that team anymore,” Khawaja added, before saying that Bancroft told him how difficult he found the team’s recent return to South Africa.

Speaking ahead of Australia’s recent Test return to South Africa, Cummins revealed that he had given Khawaja his blessing to revisit the past after taking a phone call from his former team-mate.

Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood will not feature in the upcoming white-ball series against England, meaning deputy captain Mitch Marsh, who also played at Newlands, is likely to face questioning.