Two days after Usman Khawaja claimed that the entire Australian team was aware of the use of sandpaper to tamper the ball during the infamous tour of South Africa in 2018, David Warner backed his former teammate, terming his claims “100 per cent accurate”.

Khawaja’s revelations to the Sydney Morning Herald sent fresh shockwaves around the cricketing world, more than eight years after the ball tampering incident saw bans handed out to Warner, who was Australia’s vice-captain on that tour, captain Steve Smith and opener Cameron Bancroft. His claims contradicted a joint statement issued by Australia’s bowling quartet of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon in 2021 that denied any prior knowledge of the ball being tampered with.

In a video posted on his Instagram handle on Sunday [November 9], Warner thanked Khawaja for coming forward with “the truth” and rubbished opinions that the latter’s revelations were to sell his upcoming autobiography Sabr.

“Uzzy, I throw my full support behind you. 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,” Warner said.

Khawaja had also expressed his shock at not being interviewed by Cricket Australia during their investigations that followed the Test, despite being seated next to Bancroft throughout the game. Warner echoed those sentiments, lashing out at the board’s investigation process, the outcome of which resulted in suspensions for Smith, Bancroft and Warner himself.

Warner was handed a 12-month ban from all international and domestic cricket, apart from being banned for life from holding any leadership or captaincy positions within Australian cricket (though this ban was later lifted in 2024 by an independent review panel).

“This whole interview process was rushed and botched. Uzzy was sitting next to Cameron Bancroft. Uzzy was not interviewed. How is that a thorough investigation? It baffles me,” Warner said.

“We're not here to point fingers and we're not opening our wounds. It's about accountability, transparency, ensuring that the truth is properly examined and perhaps it's time people stop scrutinising the person, asking for accountability and start asking those responsible for the investigation to provide it,” he added.

Warner said that there were a lot of “statements and inaccuracies over the last eight years” in the media over the incident. He also said that he took a couple of days’ time to speak up about it in order to talk to his daughters first and explain the aftermath of the events of the Test, with an emotional Warner captured arriving home with his family on camera.

“I've had to tell them exactly what had happened - especially my 12-year old Ivy, wanting to know why we're holding her, why there were so many cameras, why we're crying on TV. That was a hard thing to do but one thing I did say is, ‘girls, tell the truth. Because lies will eventually get out,’” Warner said.

Warner mentioned that while reopening the incident was a tough time for his family, as well as Smith and Bancroft, he believed that “this is what needed to come out.”