ricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg has ruled out reopening the investigation into the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, maintaining that the governing body’s position remains unchanged despite fresh revelations from Usman Khawaja and David Warner about the events in Cape Town
NEW DELHI — Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg has ruled out reopening the investigation into the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, maintaining that the governing body’s position remains unchanged despite fresh revelations from Usman Khawaja and David Warner about the events in Cape Town.
Greenberg said the CA board saw no value in revisiting an inquiry conducted eight years ago, arguing that conflicting accounts from members of the Australian dressing room made it difficult to establish a common version of events. He added that the organisation was keen to move forward rather than reassess decisions taken under its previous leadership.
“There’s absolutely no benefit in going back,” Greenberg told SEN radio. “That’s the clear position of the CA board. I think it’s time we’ve got to look ahead, and the matter was dealt with under a previous leadership back in 2018. And you know, trying to second guess decisions from a previous time, or making an assessment through the prism of hindsight, it’s not something we want to do.”
The renewed debate follows the publication of Khawaja’s autobiography, Sabr, in which the Australia batter devoted an entire chapter to the ball-tampering episode. Khawaja alleged that the involvement in the plan extended beyond Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft and claimed that sandpaper had also been used during the second Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth before the incident came to light in Cape Town.
He also questioned the original investigation, revealing that he was never interviewed despite sitting alongside Bancroft throughout the Cape Town Test. Warner subsequently endorsed Khawaja’s account, describing it as “100% accurate”, while former Australia fast bowler Chadd Sayers also backed the revelations in a television interview.
Greenberg, who was not part of Cricket Australia’s administration in 2018, said he had spoken to several players who were present in Cape Town and that their recollections differed from Khawaja’s. Having served as Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive from 2020 to 2025, he said he had spoken to many of those involved and had also examined the transcripts of the original investigation.
“I can assure you, there are lots of other players who have a very, very different version of events, and they’ve made that very public from the very start in 2018,” Greenberg said. “They’ve been very consistent in their position right through until today, and you know my conversations with many of them over the weekend, I don’t think that will change either. So I think we end up at the same intersection point, which is eight years ago people have a version of events which differ from each other. And I completely get it, no one would like to get this chapter of Australian cricket closed more than me, but it is unlikely.”
Although Greenberg admitted he had not yet read Khawaja’s book, he confirmed that the batter had contacted him. He reiterated that CA remained satisfied with the conclusions reached by the earlier inquiry and saw no grounds for another investigation.
“We have said we’re comfortable with the outcome of the investigation based on the information we’ve received, that includes what we’ve seen from Usman and our position hasn’t changed on that,” he said. “I don’t see any compelling reason to open the investigation or revisit this again. I don’t think there’s anything that can be gained from that.”
The issue is expected to remain in the spotlight, with Australia captain Pat Cummins and other members of the Cape Town team likely to address the controversy in the coming days. Greenberg stated that Cummins, who was part of the bowling attack during the Test, will speak to the media officially in the coming days, while Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Marsh are scheduled to face the media on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, ahead of Australia’s first ODI against England in Perth.
Greenberg said the bowlers had maintained a consistent account of the episode since the original investigation and expected them to stand by their earlier statements.
“There’s no doubt that you’ll hear from Pat and you’ll hear from other players over the coming days or weeks,” Greenberg said. “And as I said, I know people are calling for the truth, but in reference to the bowlers, I think one thing that is clear is they’ve been very consistent from the original investigation back in 2018, in the days that immediately followed this Test match.
“Again, in their public statements in 2021, and again in many of my conversations with them over the weekend, their position has remained consistent and hasn’t changed, and there’ll obviously be time for them. Pat will speak at some point in the days or weeks ahead, but I expect that their position will be exactly the same as it has been since the start of this in 2018.”