Exclusive: A key figure in the independent review into Sandpapergate says it is a “tragedy” that the integrity of Pat Cummins and others remains under scrutiny and believes Cricket Australia must launch a fresh investigation to uncover the truth.
Peter Collins, who helped facilitate a review into the team’s on-field culture in the wake of the 2018 scandal, turned up the heat on the Cricket Australia board after chief executive Todd Greenberg said on Tuesday that the governing body would not be investigating further.
Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith and Pat Cummins. Getty Images
That is Cricket Australia’s stance despite Usman Khawaja’s assertion in recent days that the ball-tampering plot in the 2018 Cape Town Test was widely known in the dressing room, as well as his claim that sandpaper was also used illegally in the previous match.
Collins says key to any new investigation must be the notes Khawaja says he took in South Africa after an internal review concluded just David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft had prior knowledge of sandpaper being used illegally in Cape Town.
“We need to have a further investigation,” Collins told nine.com.au.
“Khawaja needs to be interviewed, and his contemporaneous notes need to be reviewed.
“What we don’t know is whether or not what Khawaja is saying is true, and until we can get to that, this cloud of doubt hangs over the four bowlers and Smith and the team. It is not right that their integrity is questioned without a chance to resolve the issues raised in the book (his memoir Sabr, released on Tuesday).
“The tragedy for me is Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Smith are all great players, and this very different version of events provided by Khawaja and backed by Warner shouldn’t be allowed by Cricket Australia to hang over their heads.
“Cricket Australia cannot just hope it all goes away. Failing to investigate won’t resolve the issue.
“And God knows what’s in Warner’s book.”
In the immediate aftermath of the Cape Town Test, Iain Roy and Pat Howard – Cricket Australia’s integrity and high-performances bosses at the time, respectively – conducted an internal investigation.
That probe resulted in Warner and Smith copping 12-month playing bans and Bancroft a nine-month suspension. Smith was also told he would not be allowed to hold a leadership position for two years, while Warner was slapped with a lifetime leadership ban, although that was lifted in 2024.
The internal review only spanned two days, wedged in between the end of the third Test of the series and the start of the fourth.
Separately, a two-pronged independent review of on-field and corporate culture was carried out over the course of months, concluding in October 2018.
Collins teamed up with former Australian Test opening batter Rick McCosker to interview players in the investigation into on-field culture.
The current Cricket Australia board is entirely different to the one that was in power at the time of Sandpapergate.
Former Test batter David Boon is the interim chair of the current board, which also consists of Vanessa Guthrie, Clea Smith, Lachlan Henderson, Richard Freudenstein, Greg Rowell, David Maddocks and James Orchard.
Sandpapergate reviewer Peter Collins. Supplied
Collins believes a new independent review into the sandpaper scandal is crucial in the wake of Khawaja’s explosive allegations, which have been backed up by not only Warner but former Test paceman Chadd Sayers, who was on the 2018 tour.
“The board is responsible for the ethics and culture of Cricket Australia and can ask all concerned to respond to the claims made by Khawaja,” Collins said.
“It is simply not acceptable to reject a fresh investigation. It leaves the whole issue unresolved.
“It can’t be an internal Cricket Australia investigation … It’s got to be independent people who come in and say, ‘Just tell us what happened and let’s get to the truth of the matter’. Then we can all move on.
“It would not take much (to investigate further): ask Khawaja to prove what he says in the book is right, and show us the contemporaneous notes.
“Then you can say, ‘Well, Khawaja is either selling a book, and you can buy the book if you want’, or, ‘We’ve got some new evidence in these notes and he raises credible questions about what was said for the last eight years about what happened on the field’.”
Cricket Australia declined to comment when contacted by nine.com.au.
Khawaja said he began taking notes in South Africa after being left shocked by the outcome of the internal review.
“All we need is a good IT person to look into the contemporaneous notes, trace the version control of the document and then validate what he wrote at the time,” Collins added.
“The investigators can also ask for drafts that he provided to the publishers to trace his thinking.
Usman Khawaja acknowledges the crowd after scoring a double ton in Sri Lanka in 2025. AP
“He may well be providing credible evidence. This should be tested rigorously in a way that gets to the truth of the matter as to what really happened in the Cape Town Test and the series in 2018.”
Sport Integrity Australia chief executive Sarah Benson wasn’t willing to speak specifically about Sandpapergate, but explained what made for a quality sports integrity investigation.
“A whole range of things: independence, good policy and good investigative practice, which will make sure that any investigation is based on evidence,” Benson told nine.com.au.
“Like any investigation, no matter the domain, looking at what occurred, when, how and who was involved, but making sure that investigation is done within the framework allowed.
“Transparency where needed (is important), and quality assurance and sound decision-making.”
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