# Cricket scandal rocks Australia

- Place: Port Elizabeth, South Africa (-33.9681, 25.5981)
- Published: 2026-11-07T02:25:30.637Z · expires 2026-11-14T02:25:30.637Z
- Floors (The Arena): E9 Cultures, E10 Institutions, E12 States
- Page: https://emergencemachine.com/brief/8km
- AI-written summary of the sources below; check them.

Australia's cricket team admitted to using a sandpaper ball tampering plot during the 2018 Test series in South Africa, reports The Guardian.

In a revealing interview, Steve Smith's teammate Usman Khawaja confirmed that the entire team was aware of the scheme, BBC notes.

The revelations come amid ongoing scrutiny of Australian cricket's integrity and have sparked calls for accountability across the sport, per Sydney Morning Herald.

## Sources

- [‘It was all of us’: Khawaja says entire Australia team knew about sandpaper ball tampering plot](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/nov/07/usman-khawaja-australia-cricket-team-sandpaper-ball-tampering-plot) · theguardian.com · 2026-11-07
- [Khawaja reveals discussions on ball tampering during South Africa Test series](https://news.ssbcrack.com/khawaja-reveals-discussions-on-ball-tampering-during-south-africa-test-series/) · news.ssbcrack.com · 2026-11-06
- [Whole Australia team knew of sandpaper use - Khawaja](https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/articles/cjdx33kyzk3lo) · bbc.com · 2026-11-06
- [‘It was all of us’: Khawaja blows the whistle on more sandpaper use in South Africa in 2018](https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/it-was-all-of-us-khawaja-blows-the-whistle-on-more-sandpaper-use-in-south-africa-in-2018-20261107-p61ax6.html) · smh.com.au · 2026-11-06