Cricket Australia will not reopen 2018 ball-tampering probe after Khawaja book claims

Cricket Australia told SEN radio on Tuesday it will not reopen its investigation into the 2018 ball-tampering controversy after the release this week of Usman Khawaja’s book, saying there is not "any compelling reason" to revisit the matter. Chief executive Todd Greenberg acknowledged the book contains "specific details" that "contradict the versions that have been provided by others," but rejected calls for a fresh inquiry.

Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were handed long bans following a short Cricket Australia investigation into the incident in 2018, and Khawaja has since alleged that more people than those three had knowledge of the sandpaper plan. Khawaja also said his appeals at the time for players to take collective responsibility were rebuffed.

Greenberg told SEN radio there was not "any compelling reason" to revisit the investigation, even though there are "specific details" in Khawaja’s book "that contradict the versions that have been provided by others." He framed the decision as a judgment about the likely outcome of reopening the case.

On the radio, Greenberg said establishing another inquiry into the events of 2018 would not benefit anyone, adding: "You end up at the same intersection where one person’s version of events contradict the others, and I’m not sure what outcome people are searching for." He added: "I think what people want is a single outcome that everyone is aligned up on, but I don’t think that’s possible on this occasion because we have such conflicting views from the same moment in time."

Greenberg only stepped into his role last year, but he was chief executive of the Australian Cricketers Association in 2021 when Bancroft told the Guardian he "lost control of [his] values". That interview prompted Pat Cummins and his fellow bowlers in Cape Town to say they had no knowledge of the ball-tampering.

David Warner criticised the original investigation on Monday, describing it as "rushed and botched." Khawaja’s new memoir has reignited public scrutiny by setting out a version of events that differs from accounts given at the time.

Khawaja responded to suggestions he was using the controversy for commercial gain on Instagram, saying: "With all due respect guys, I played cricket for a long time, I’m very fortunate, I don’t need the money," and "This has never been about commercial gain." He said his publisher, Penguin Random House, and manager were not aware of his intention to cast new light on the events of 2018 when he signed the book deal in 2023, and that he is unlikely to benefit financially from the controversy.

Khawaja further told followers: "I could have written blah blah blah blah blah throughout the whole book and I’d be paid the same," and: "And before you even start to think about royalties and book sales and all this other jabber, I have to sell so many books for royalties to even kick in, I don’t reckon I will ever get there. And even if it does. It’s pennies. Anyone who’s written a book will tell you the same."

Greenberg concluded that reopening the investigation would return the parties to conflicting accounts without a clear resolution, and reiterated that Cricket Australia will not pursue a new inquiry into the 2018 incident.