'Lies Will Eventually Come Out': David Warner Backs Khawaja As Sandpaper Gate Rocks Australian Cricket Again | Watch

Investigation Criticism

Warner also defended Khawaja over the timing of his revelations. He pushed back at criticism that Khawaja had spoken only now because his book is due for release.

"Now people are asking, why eight years later? They're talking about selling a book. Is this a Brisbane story? This is what Usman believes. Has he written down every single thing from that day onwards?" Warner said.

He then turned to the 2018 Cape Town Test inquiry. Warner backed Khawaja's complaint that he was not interviewed despite being in the dressing room when the incident unfolded.

"The whole interview process was rushed and botched. Uzi was sitting next to Cameron Bancroft. Uzi was not interviewed. How is that a thorough investigation? It baffles me," Warner said.

Warner said the issue should be accountability. He argued that the focus should be on transparency rather than on attacking Khawaja for speaking out. "We're not here to point fingers, and we're not opening old wounds.

It's about accountability and transparency, and ensuring that the truth is properly examined. Perhaps it's time people stopped scrutinising the person asking for accountability and started asking those responsible for the investigation to provide it," Warner said.

Backlash And Response

Khawaja's revelations in Sabr have triggered a debate over how far the rest of the Australian team was involved in Sandpapergate and whether Warner, Smith and Bancroft carried the blame for a wider team failure.

Khawaja later addressed the backlash in a series of Instagram videos and insisted he had never tried to single out his former teammates.

He said he had tried to bring the issue into the open in 2018 and again in 2021 but did not want to push it further while he was still in the Australian dressing room.

Khawaja also said he waited until Australia's recent tour of South Africa had ended before making the allegations public.

Khawaja added that he had promised his childhood friend Warner that he would tell the truth so Warner could tell his side of the story. Warner's response appeared to address that directly and he said the latest disclosures had been hard on his family.

"Over the last couple of days, I've had to speak to my daughters. That's why it's taken me a couple of days to put this out, because I've had to tell them exactly what happened. Especially my 12-year-old, Ivy.

She wanted to know why we were holding her, and why there were so many cameras around while we were crying on TV. That was a hard thing to do," Warner said.

He said he had used the moment to teach them a lesson. "But one thing I did tell them was: girls, tell the truth. Because lies will eventually come out," Warner said.

Warner closed by backing Khawaja again. "It's been a tough time for my family, Steven and Cameron, no doubt. But this is what needed to come out. I fully support that, Uzi," Warner said.