Former Australia head coach Darren Lehmann has responded to Usman Khawaja’s claims about the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, disputing the suggestion that every member of the Australian squad knew about the use of sandpaper during the Test series against South Africa. Khawaja, who retired from international cricket this year after representing Australia in 88 Test matches, has revisited the controversy in his autobiography, *Sabr*, and subsequent media interviews. He claimed that the entire Australian team had prior knowledge of the incident, which became known as Sandpapergate.

The scandal erupted during the Cape Town Test in 2018 when Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball. The incident led to major consequences for Australian cricket and raised questions about how much the players and support staff knew.

Speaking to ABC Sport on Summer Grandstand, Darren Lehmann said he did not believe everyone in the squad would have known about the specific use of sandpaper. However, he acknowledged that ball tampering had been a widespread practice in international cricket for many years. “I don’t think everyone would have known (about the use of sandpaper). You do know ball tampering is going on because it’s been happening for 150 years,” Lehmann said.

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The former coach stressed that knowing about ball tampering in general was different from knowing the exact method used during the Cape Town Test. He also explained that players might not always be aware of the individual actions taken by their teammates.

“It’s just how it’s being done, and how would you know to that extent? That’s an individual case-by-case, to be fair. I can only speak to what I know, and I know ball tampering was a big part of the game of cricket. Now it is obsolete. That doesn’t make it right either, but that’s the case, and we paid a heavy price for that,” he added.

Asked whether the sandpaper tactic had been discussed within the squad, DarrenLehmann said he could not recall such conversations. He pointed out that the coaching staff and players operated in separate spaces, while he was frequently occupied with meetings involving Cricket Australia as the controversy unfolded. “I don’t remember that. There were two change rooms obviously, and there were meetings going on everywhere. To be perfectly honest, I was in meetings with Cricket Australia a lot,” he said.

Lehmann also avoided directly confirming or rejecting Khawaja’s version of events, noting that people involved could have different perspectives. Darren Lehmann expressed discomfort with the controversy being revisited eight years later, particularly during the promotion of Khawaja’s autobiography. He recalled the personal difficulties he experienced after the incident and said he had spent four months largely away from public life.

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He also expressed sympathy for the families and individuals affected, saying that reopening the matter could bring back painful memories. The scandal resulted in one-year bans for Steve Smith and David Warner, while Bancroft received a nine-month suspension. Smith was also removed as captain, Warner lost his leadership roles, and Lehmann stepped down as Australia’s head coach. Khawaja’s latest comments have once again sparked discussion about how much the Australian squad knew about the events surrounding the 2018 Cape Town Test.