Mitchell Johnson questions timing of Khawaja's sandpaper revelations
Johnson challenges Khawaja's delayed account while defending the bowlers' position on the sandpaper incident.
Mitchell Johnson said Khawaja's claims do not look good for the bowlers who denied any knowledge of the sandpaper plot. Johnson questioned why the revelations came eight years after the incident and noted that he was not on the 2018 tour of South Africa. He said the bowlers denied any knowledge and claimed they did not know until seeing images. Johnson added that Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon issued a joint statement in 2021 and said if the group had owned it collectively it would be done and dusted. He emphasised that the ball is a bowler's main tool and they would notice changes. Khawaja stated that the entire Australia team knew about the 2018 sandpaper incident and that sandpaper was also used in the Port Elizabeth Test. He said he was never interviewed by Cricket Australia about the incident and that the whole touring party knew about the plot. Cricket Australia said it remains comfortable with its investigation findings. Darren Lehmann questioned Khawaja's timing of the revelations.
CricHubb Take
Johnson's defence highlights the tension between individual accountability and collective responsibility that the 2018 sanctions never fully resolved. The bowlers' joint statement remains their only public position despite the expanded narrative emerging years later.