Former England captain Michael Vaughan has reacted to Usman Khawaja's claims about Australia's 2018 ball-tampering scandal. Vaughan took a dig at the revelations on social media after Khawaja alleged that the entire Australian squad knew about the plan to alter the ball during the tour of South Africa.
Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft received suspensions following the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town in 2018. Cricket Australia's investigation found that only the three players knew about the plan. However, Khawaja's upcoming autobiography has brought the controversy back into focus.
'No Sh* t Sherlock' - Michael Vaughan Reacts to Usman Khawaja's Ball-Tampering Claims
Michael Vaughan took to X after Usman Khawaja's comments became public and suggested that the latest revelations were hardly surprising. The former England captain also questioned why the issue had resurfaced after eight years and urged everyone to move on.
"So we finally now know the most hidden secret in the game … all the Aussie team knew about the sandpaper … 8 yrs later it all comes out … no sh*t Sherlock … now can we just move on …" Vaughan posted on X.
So we finally now know the most hidden secret in the game … all the Aussie team knew about the sandpaper … 8 yrs later it all comes out … no shit Sherlock … now can we just move on … 👍
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) November 6, 2026
Khawaja made the claims ahead of his autobiography's release, stating that discussions about altering the ball were common during Australia's 2018 tour of South Africa. He also claimed that the team had discussed using similar tactics during the preceding Test at Port Elizabeth.
"It was all of us. All of us," Khawaja told Nine newspapers.
The former Australian opener described the incident as the result of a 'win at all costs' mentality that had developed within the team over several years. He also suggested that this culture had contributed to the hostility Australia faced from the rest of the cricketing world.
'It Was All Of Us' - Usman Khawaja's Claims Face Contradiction From Childhood Coach
Usman Khawaja's claims have also faced questions from his childhood coach, Bill Anderson. Speaking to Australian Story, Anderson alleged that the former Australian batter had tried to convince his teammates to accept collective responsibility for the ball-tampering incident. However, some players refused to support his account.
"Usman actually tried to coerce them all to say 'we all knew what was going on' and some of them wouldn't buy into that," Anderson explained.
The controversy broke during the third Test between Australia and South Africa in Cape Town in March 2018, when Bancroft was caught using sandpaper to rough up the ball.
Smith and Warner received 12-month bans from international and domestic cricket, while Bancroft was suspended for nine months. Then-head coach Darren Lehmann was cleared of direct involvement but resigned shortly after the series.
'We Were Very Hungry' - Michael Vaughan Responds to Fans' Ball-Tampering Jibes
Michael Vaughan also responded to fans who questioned his earlier comments on the scandal. One user suggested that the former England captain had remained quiet about Australia's involvement to protect his commentary contracts.
Vaughan rejected the accusation and maintained that several people in cricket had suspected wider involvement from the beginning.
"Pretty sure most in the game including myself said at the time that no way the whole didn't know," Vaughan replied.
Another user brought up allegations about England players using hard sweets to shine the ball during Vaughan's captaincy. The user questioned whether he knew that his teammates were using the method. Vaughan responded humorously, suggesting that the players did not know they were not allowed to eat sweets on the field.
"Yes of course ... I didn't know you weren't allowed to eat sweets on the pitch? We were very hungry," Vaughan responded.
Pretty sure most in the game including myself said at the time that no way the whole didn’t know … #OnOn
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) November 6, 2026
Yes of course … I didn’t know you weren’t allowed to eat sweets on the pitch ? We were very hungry
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) November 7, 2026
Also read: Usman Khawaja accuses South Africa of being experts at ball-tampering
