'Not True': Former Australian coach Darren Lehmann denies Khawaja's 'everyone knew' Sandpaper Gate claims

Former Australian coach Darren Lehmann has denied Usman Khawaja’s claims that the whole Australian team was aware of the Sandpaper Gate ploy, which South African broadcasters exposed during the 2018 Cape Town Test, leading to severe repercussions. Lehmann stepped down soon after, as Cricket Australia (CA) suspended captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and opener Cameron Bancroft for their involvement. While Smith and Warner received 12-month bans, Bancroft received a 9-month ban.

Khawaja made those claims in his autobiography Sabr, extracts of which The Sydney Morning Herald published over the weekend. Khawaja’s version contradicted findings that the Australian bowling quartet of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon were unaware of the ploy to use the banned substance during the game’s play.

Khawaja also revealed that discussions of using the sandpaper began during the second Test in Port Elizabeth.

“I don’t think everyone would have known,” Lehmann said in a chat with ABC Grandstand. “But you do know ball-tampering is going on because it’s been happening for 150 years. So, it’s just how it’s being done and how you would know to that extent, I suppose, and how the bowlers would know, how other players would know.

“So, that’s an individual case-by-case… on the players, and I suppose they’ll respond with their thoughts and what they know. I can’t speak for them at all. I can only know what I know, and I know that ball-tampering was a big part of the game of cricket. Now it’s obsolete. But that doesn’t make it right either; that’s the case, and we paid a heavy price for that. We paid a heavy price for that, and we’ve just got to accept the consequences that came our way at the time and try and move forward with that,” he added.

Meanwhile, Khawaja also claimed that he informed his childhood friend and long-time opening batter David Warner that he would reveal the truth one day.

Also read| 'Promised Warner I'd tell the truth': Usman Khawaja drops new Sandpaper Gate bombshell

"I made a promise to my childhood friend David Warner that I would tell the truth, so he could tell a story. I'm 100 per cent unapologetic for that. I stuck up for all cricketers in the past through the ACA, fighting for what I thought was right. This is no different.

"These three guys deserve justice, and I haven't pointed fingers at anyone. I'm still searching for what I was searching for all those years ago. For us, me included, to take the blame together as a team, so we can all move on from this once and for all. You know what? I would do it again in a heartbeat,” Khawaja added.