David Warner has broken his silence on Usman Khawaja’s revelations about the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, calling the claims made by his former teammate and childhood friend “100 per cent accurate”.

In his new book Sabr, which is yet to be published, Khawaja claims the entire Australian Test team knew of the use of sandpaper and openly debated ways to rough up the ball during the tour of South Africa eight years ago.

David Warner breaks silence. @davidwarner31

That has contradicted the long-held stance of Cricket Australia and multiple team members about how few knew about the plan in Cape Town.

Warner, who was Australia’s vice-captain at the time, was suspended from domestic and international cricket as a result of the scandal and was also permanently barred from leadership positions.

Two other players, Cameron Bancroft and then-captain Steve Smith were made “wholly responsible” for the scandal.

While Cricket Australia released a statement defending its initial investigation and expressing comfort with its findings, Warner took to social media on Monday night to validate Khawaja’s account and thank him for speaking up.

“It’s been eight years since I’ve spoken on this topic. And Uzzy, I throw my full support behind you. I thank you for what you’ve done,” Warner said.

“It’s 100 per cent accurate what you’ve said. Now everyone knows the truth. It’s out there.

“People wanted to know it, you’ve come out and said it, and now people are saying why eight years on, talking about selling a book. This is Usman’s story. This is what Usman believes. Uzzy wrote down every single thing from that day on…thank you.”

Warner then directed his frustration towards Cricket Australia’s handling of the 2018 fallout, describing the original interview process as “rushed and botched”.

He questioned how the investigation could be considered thorough when Khawaja, who was sitting directly next to Bancroft in the dressing room, was never formally interviewed.

“Now this whole interview process was rushed… Uzzy was not interviewed. How is that a thorough investigation? It baffles me,” Warner continued.

“We’re not here to point fingers, and we’re not opening old wounds. It’s about accountability, transparency, ensuring that the truth is properly examined.

“And perhaps it’s time people stop scrutinising the person asking for accountability, and start asking those responsible for the investigation to provide it.

“Now, there were a lot of statements and inaccuracies over the last eight years that were out in the media by people, and there’s a lot of people who stayed silent.”

He also said the renewed scrutiny has taken an emotional toll on his family, explaining that it took him a few days to speak out because he had to discuss the situation with his daughters.

When on the South Africa tour in 2018, Warner’s wife Candice and two daughters were accompanying him.

“The last couple of days I’ve been talking to my daughters, and that’s why it’s taken me a couple of days to get this out because I’ve had to tell them exactly what had happened,” Warner explained.

“Especially my 12-year-old Ivy wanted to know why we were holding her, why there were so many cameras, why we were crying on TV.

“That was a hard thing to do. But one thing I did say is ‘girls, tell the truth, because lies will eventually get out’.

“It’s a very tough time. This is for everyone in Australia. It’s been the question everyone’s been asking. Uzzy, you said how it is, it’s 100 per cent accurate.

“It’s been a tough time for my family, Steven [Smith], and Cameron [Bancroft] no doubt. But this is what needed to come out.

“I fully support that.”

Speaking to reporters at Melbourne Airport on Monday, Bancroft declined to weigh in further on the ball-tampering saga that resulted in a nine-month ban.

Warner and Khawaja have supported each other’s claims that the Australian team was aware of foul play.  AP

“In regard to Uzzie’s book and the media that’s come about there over the last couple of days, I don’t have any further comments to add at this stage,” Bancroft said to reporters.

The recent claims made by Warner and Khawaja have cast fresh scrutiny on Australia’s four bowlers from that South African tour.

Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon maintained, in a statement three years after the scandal, that they were entirely unaware that sandpaper was being used on the ball.

“We did not know a foreign substance was taken onto the field to alter the condition of the ball until we saw the images on the big screen at Newlands,” the statement read.

“And to those who, despite the absence of evidence, insist that ‘we must have known’ about the use of a foreign substance simply because we are bowlers, we say this: The umpires during that Test match, Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth, both very respected and experienced umpires, inspected the ball after the images surfaced on the TV coverage and did not change it because there was no sign of damage.”

Those players are yet to comment on the new claims by Khawaja and Warner.

In 2018, captain Smith had claimed in the infamous press conference that “the leadership group knew about it” and were “not proud of it” when asked of the ball-tampering.