Cleese Slams Fake Ponting Quotes on X
John Cleese criticised fake comments attributed to Ricky Ponting about Usman Khawaja's autobiography, posted by an X account.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Tennis
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John Cleese posted criticism on X in response to fake quotes attributed to Ricky Ponting, which were shared by an account that regularly posts viral cricket rumours. The fake comments concerned Usman Khawaja's autobiography Sabr, in which Khawaja alleges every member of the Australian dressing room knew of the 2018 sandpaper plot.
Why it matters
The episode highlights how fabricated quotes can circulate and draw public figures into a debate they have not joined. It also revives scrutiny of the 2018 sandpaper scandal and the claims Khawaja has made about the team's collective knowledge of it.
Cameron Bancroft was sanctioned with a nine-month ban, while Steve Smith and David Warner each received 12-month bans following Cricket Australia's investigation into the 2018 incident. Whether the wider dressing room knew of the plot, as Khawaja alleges, has not been independently established.
The players
John Cleese
English actor and comedian best known as a founding member of Monty Python, who criticised the fake Ponting quotes on X.
Ricky Ponting
Former Australian Test captain and one of the country's most successful batters, to whom the fake comments were falsely attributed.
Usman Khawaja
Australian Test batter whose autobiography Sabr alleges that every member of the Australian dressing room knew of the 2018 sandpaper plot.
Darren Lehmann
Former Australian coach who publicly questioned the motivation behind Khawaja's book and said he could not substantiate the collective-blame conversation.
The details
Cleese posted his criticism on X after fake quotes attributed to Ricky Ponting circulated from an account that shares viral cricket rumours. Ponting has not shared an opinion on Khawaja's book, and Darren Lehmann publicly questioned the motivation behind it.
Timeline
2018: Sandpaper ball-tampering scandal during the Tour of South Africa.
Saturday: Darren Lehmann said he had not spoken to or received a text from Khawaja.
Season Trajectory
The renewed debate follows the nine-month and 12-month bans imposed after the 2018 sandpaper scandal, which have long defined how Australian cricket accounts for that period. Khawaja's claims of wider dressing-room knowledge extend that reckoning beyond the three players originally sanctioned.
The episode affects how fans assess the claims in Khawaja's book, since the 2018 sanctions cover three players while his allegations extend to the whole dressing room. Readers following the debate should treat quoted comments with caution until they are confirmed by the people named.
The takeaway
Attributed quotes shared on social media should be verified with the named person before they are repeated. The sandpaper scandal's sanctions and the contested claims that followed remain separate questions.
Further reading
Explore more coverage in Tennis for related sports reporting.
Source note: This article includes information reported by News.
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