Khawaja, who scored 6,229 runs successful 88 Tests, said that discussions astir tampering with the shot began during the 2nd Test of the bid against South Africa.
That match, played astatine Port Elizabeth - present Gqeberha - led to what Khawaja said was the "discovery of sandpaper arsenic an effectual agent" aft "open" discussions held successful the dressing country astatine St George's Park.
"At this constituent Smith fundamentally threw his hands successful the aerial and said helium didn't privation to know," Khawaja wrote.
Australia were rumbled successful the 3rd Test erstwhile tv cameras intelligibly showed Bancroft utilizing sandpaper connected the shot to assistance make reverse swing.
Khawaja was besides shocked not to beryllium asked to supply immoderate grounds during Cricket Australia's investigation.
"In an perfect world, I don't privation to bash this. I don't privation to beryllium the 1 who comes retired and talks astir the truth," helium said.
"The contented is that I genuinely thought aft 8 years the information would person been retired by now."
While Smith, Warner and Bancroft - each batters - were punished, determination was ne'er an mentation of however bowlers Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon did not announcement a alteration successful the authorities of the ball.
In a 2021 interrogation with the Guardian, Bancroft was asked if the bowlers knew and replied: "It's beauteous astir apt self-explanatory."
Days aft Bancroft's interrogation was published, the quartet released their connection which said: "We consciousness compelled to enactment the cardinal facts connected the grounds again.
"We did not cognize a overseas substance was taken connected to the tract to change the information of the shot until we saw the images connected the large surface astatine Newlands.
"And to those who, contempt the lack of evidence, importune that 'we indispensable person known' astir the usage of a overseas substance simply due to the fact that we are bowlers, we accidental this: The umpires during that Test match, Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth, some precise respected and experienced umpires, inspected the shot aft the images surfaced connected the TV sum and did not alteration it due to the fact that determination was nary motion of damage.
"We respectfully petition an extremity to the rumour-mongering and innuendo. It has gone connected excessively agelong and it is clip to determination on."
- Image caption,
Image source, Getty Images
Steve Smith cries erstwhile speaking to the media connected his instrumentality to Australia
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