Sports · Cricket · 9 hrs ago
Joe Root declines to comment on Khawaja's Sandpapergate claims
England batter Joe Root declined to comment on fresh claims about Australia's ball-tampering before a three-match ODI series against Australia.
The claims came from former Australian batter Usman Khawaja's autobiography, which has reopened debate about the 2018 Sandpapergate scandal.
Khawaja says Australia lifted the ball's quarter seam during the 2017-18 Ashes to help generate reverse swing, and argues that knowledge of ball-tampering extended beyond the players who were punished.
The original scandal involved sandpaper use in a Test against South Africa at Cape Town, leading to one-year bans for Steve Smith and David Warner and a nine-month suspension for Cameron Bancroft.
Warner has backed Khawaja's account and criticised Cricket Australia's investigation, while the governing body has defended it.
Root, who captained England during the Ashes, said he was not in Australia's dressing room and did not want to speculate.
Root says England's focus is the ODI series, which begins in Perth on November 13; Cricket Australia has said its board will not reopen the investigation.
Joe Root declined to comment on Usman Khawaja’s renewed claims about Australia’s ball-tampering practices, saying he did not know what happened in the Australian dressing room.
Khawaja’s autobiography, Sabr, alleges that Australia used methods to generate reverse swing during the 2017-18 Ashes and that knowledge of ball-tampering extended beyond three players.
David Warner backed Khawaja’s account and criticised Cricket Australia’s investigation into the 2018 scandal.
Cricket Australia has defended its investigation, while Mitchell Starc has said he was unaware of any plan to tamper with the ball.
Root was speaking ahead of England’s three-match ODI series against Australia, which begins in Perth on November 13, 2026.
- Who
- Joe Root, England batter and former captain, responded to claims by former Australia batter Usman Khawaja.
- What
- Root declined to comment on Khawaja’s claims about ball-tampering. He said he did not know what happened in Australia’s dressing room and did not want to speculate.
- When
- November 11, 2026, ahead of the ODI series beginning November 13.
- Where
- Perth is the venue for the opening of the upcoming ODI series. The sources do not state where Root made his comments.
- Why
- Khawaja’s autobiography, Sabr, renewed debate about Australia’s ball-tampering practices during the 2017-18 Ashes and the 2018 scandal.
Usman Khawaja and David Warner
Cricket Australia
Extent of knowledge
Usman Khawaja and David Warner
Khawaja alleges that awareness of ball-tampering extended beyond Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. Warner called Khawaja’s account 100 per cent accurate.
Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia has defended its original investigation into the scandal.
Reopening the investigation
Usman Khawaja and David Warner
Khawaja has called for collective responsibility, and Warner criticised the investigation as rushed and botched.
Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said there was no benefit in going back and that this was the board’s position.
Khawaja alleges Australia experimented with the ball to generate reverse swing during the series.
Bancroft was caught using sandpaper on the ball, resulting in suspensions for Smith, Warner and Bancroft.
Root declined to comment on Khawaja’s claims ahead of England’s ODI series against Australia.
England’s three-match ODI series against Australia is due to begin in Perth.
- Khawaja’s autobiography
- Sabr
- Ashes series in question
- 2017-18
- Cape Town scandal bans
- Smith and Warner: one year; Bancroft: nine months
- Upcoming series
- Three ODIs between England and Australia
- Series start
- November 13, 2026, in Perth
3 sources
What people are saying
I wasn't in that [Australia] dressing room, I don't know what went on. I don't want to speculate. My focus is with this team right now and what we've got coming up
The whole world was doing whatever little they could to try and reverse swing the ball
100 per cent accurate
There's absolutely no benefit in going back. That's the clear position of the CA board.