Reviewed by Coach Deepak CM, Director of Cricket at SPSA.
Eight years after the Cape Town Test, Sandpapergate is back in the headlines. In his new autobiography Sabr, published on 10 November 2026, former Australia opener Usman Khawaja claims that the whole Australian squad knew about the 2018 ball-tampering plan, not just the three players who were punished. David Warner, Australia’s vice-captain at the time, has publicly backed Khawaja’s account. Former coach Darren Lehmann has denied any wider knowledge, and Cricket Australia says it won’t reopen the investigation.
We won’t try to settle who knew what. What interests us is the bigger lesson. Eight years on, the players involved are still answering questions about one afternoon in Cape Town. For the young cricketers we coach every week, that’s a lesson worth spelling out.
What happened in Cape Town in 2018?
During the third Test against South Africa in March 2018, TV cameras caught opening batter Cameron Bancroft rubbing the ball with a small piece of yellow sandpaper. The aim was to rough up one side of the ball so it would reverse swing. Bancroft then tried to hide the sandpaper down his trousers.
The punishments were among the heaviest in the game’s history:
- Steve Smith, the captain, was banned for 12 months and barred from leading Australia for a further two years.
- David Warner, the vice-captain, was banned for 12 months and barred from leadership roles for life. The leadership ban was finally lifted in October 2024.
- Cameron Bancroft was banned for nine months.
Most people remember the press conferences more than the bans. A world-class captain broke down in tears in front of the cameras. Players talked about the pain they had caused their parents and children. The scandal has followed all three players through the rest of their careers, and Khawaja’s book shows that eight years hasn’t been long enough for it to go away.
Sandpapergate isn’t the first
Cricket has faced this before, and every case carries a lesson. In 2000, South Africa’s captain Hansie Cronje was banned for life for taking money from bookmakers. He later said it started with information that seemed harmless, and each step made the next one easier. The same investigations led India to ban former captain Mohammad Azharuddin, who never played for his country again and finished one short of 100 Tests. In 2010, 18-year-old Mohammad Amir and two Pakistan teammates were banned and jailed for bowling deliberate no-balls at Lord’s for a fixer, over something as small as a single delivery. Shane Warne missed the 2003 World Cup after a pill his mother gave him contained a banned substance. And in 1981, Australia rolled the last ball of a match along the ground so New Zealand couldn’t hit the six they needed. It was legal, but it’s still remembered as one of the game’s most unsporting moments. The lessons: refuse the first wrong step, there’s no such thing as a small fix, you’re responsible for everything you take, and “Is it allowed?” is not the same as “Is it right?”
It happens closer to home too
It would be easy to see these as distant stories about famous players. They aren’t. In 2021, the ICC banned four UAE national team players for eight years each for corruption offences, including attempts to fix matches at the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifier. A fifth player received a five-year ban. These were cricketers who had come up through local cricket, the same pathway many of our players are on now.
The junior version of these temptations
Most young players will never be approached by a bookmaker. But the same choices show up in junior cricket in smaller forms:
- Age. Playing in a younger age group than you belong in. It’s cheating, it’s unfair on the players you push out, and it can follow you through every registration you ever make.
- Claiming a catch you know bounced. If you weren’t sure, say so.
- Knowing you’re out. Whether you walk is your choice, but arguing with an umpire or pretending you didn’t nick it is a habit worth never starting.
- Sledging. Competitive chat is part of the game. Personal abuse isn’t.
- Working on the ball. When you shine the ball, sweat is the only thing you’re allowed to use. Putting anything else on it, including saliva, is ball tampering. So is anything that roughens or damages it, like picking at the seam with your nails or treading on it with your spikes. The Laws of Cricket apply at every level.
- Messages from strangers. If anyone you don’t know contacts you about team selections, the toss, pitch conditions or how you’ll play, don’t reply. Tell a parent or coach straight away, every time. That’s how corruption starts at the higher levels, and reporting it is always the right call.
Five things to take from this
- Your reputation takes years to build and seconds to lose. The players in this post were brilliant cricketers, and many people remember them first for their worst moment.
- Saying no to a teammate, even a senior one, takes courage. Speaking up early is far easier than living with the consequences later.
- “Everyone does it” isn’t an excuse. It wasn’t in Cape Town, and it won’t be for you.
- Know the rules, and know the Spirit of Cricket. The laws tell you what’s allowed. The Spirit of Cricket tells you how to play.
- If you get it wrong, own it. Mistakes can be recovered from. Cover-ups usually make them worse.
A note for parents and coaches
Cricket is more than just a game; it is a foundation for character. While winning is a natural goal, the true success of youth cricket lies in the lifelong values it builds. Through every missed run, difficult decision, and tough loss, your child is learning resilience, integrity, and the power of teamwork.
Your reactions from the boundary shape how they handle life’s challenges. By prioritizing sportsmanship over scoreboard results, you help them transform every cricketing experience into a valuable life lesson.
At SPSA, we want our players to be known for how they play as well as how well they play. We hope every SPSA cricketer leaves the academy with skills that win matches and values that will serve them long after their playing days.
If you’d like your child to train in an environment where character matters as much as cover drives, explore our cricket programmes or get in touch: call +971 56 504 0033 or email cricket@spsauae.com.