Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has hit back at claims in Usman Khawaja’s new book that he used the sandpaper drama for political gain.

Khawaja writes in his memoir that when the scandal broke, “even the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, who had no idea about cricket – and we knew this because we met him at the annual tea event with the PM at Kirribilli – had his two cents about the topic”.

“I felt like he was trying to use this as political leverage on his already failing prime ministership,” he writes Sabr: Finding My Way in Cricket and Life.

“But it lit a fire in Australia. Because once the PM got involved, everyone was in on it.”

Turnbull, who is overseas, told the Sydney Morning Herald, said he didn’t think his reaction at the time in 2018 was different to most Australians.

“I’m surprised that Usman thinks the only reason this was big deal was because the prime minister said he was disappointed,” he said.

“I think every Australian was disappointed. I don’t think I said anything unusual or remarkable.”

Asked whether Cricket Australia should re-open its investigation he replied: “I don’t want to express a view on what Cricket Australia should or should not do, eight years on and from the other end of the world.”

“If indeed Steve Smith took the blame for a lot of other people who didn’t put their hand up, others who didn’t should maybe reflect on that. They should reflect on their silence, if what Khawaja says is right. I know there are some people who contest it.”

The fall-out from Khawaja’s 2018 South African tour ball-tampering allegations shows no sign of abating.

Australia’s former batting coach Graeme Hick weighed in to insist they were “absolutely false”.

Hick’s strong denial of Khawaja’s assertion that the whole team knew of the plan to use sandpaper to alter the state of the ball in the series eight years ago also dragged David Warner back to social media as he launched further barbs at Cricket Australia.

Khawaja’s revelations about the infamous “sandpapergate” tour have received bother strong support and vehement denials.

The latest rebuttal of his claims have come from former Zimbabwe-born England batting star Graeme Hick, who joined paceman Mitchell Starc and former head coach Darren Lehmann.

Hick, who worked with the Australia team from 2016 to 2020, told the Sydney Morning Herald: “I have seen the various statements around the coaches and I’m very disappointed with the broad nature of them.

“Khawaja puts it simply: ‘It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us’. To me, what Khawaja is implying here is absolutely false.

“In regard to any discussions around the ball-tampering in Port Elizabeth or Cape Town, I will say in true honesty that I did not hear or know anything.

“My first knowledge of all this was, like many, when it appeared on the big screen in Cape Town as I was sat on the outside balcony at the time.”

Khawaja’s fellow opener Warner, who was one of three players who took the blame for the 2018 ‘sandpaper’ scandal at Cape Town along with captain Steve Smith and   batter Cameron Bancroft, has backed Khawaja’s stance and thanked him, saying: “It’s 100 per cent accurate what you’ve said. Now everyone knows the truth.”

After reading of Hick’s comments, Warner returned to social media with another post that seemed to imply the English Test player was hardly at the heart of the team as Cricket Australia’s appointment after the popular Michael Di Venuto resigned.

“Let’s get the facts straight,” wrote Warner. “Graeme Hick was only appointed because Cricket Australia was unwilling to pay Michael Di Venuto what he deserved.

“As players, we valued Michael so highly that we even offered to contribute from our own salaries to retain him.

“These discussions were taking place during the New Zealand tour. That alone speaks volumes about how highly we regarded him and how determined we were to keep him involved. Adds to why Graeme has spoken!!”