Australia captain Pat Cummins has hit back at former team-mate Usman Khawaja’s claims over the sandpaper scandal, calling them “100% wrong” and “utter nonsense”. In 2018, Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were punished for a plot to tamper with the ball using sandpaper in Australia’s Test against South Africa in Cape Town.
Khawaja’s Book Allegations and Cummins’ Response
Khawaja published his autobiography this week, in which the retired batter stated that the entire Australia team, including Cummins, knew about the sandpaper scheme and should have taken responsibility. During a 68-minute address to the media in Sydney, Cummins countered those assertions. He stated that if Khawaja meant everyone knew sandpaper was going out onto the field, it was entirely incorrect, adding that he had maintained this position for eight years and did not know it was happening. Cummins also rejected claims that he and others orchestrated a ball-tampering scheme, calling those allegations complete nonsense.
Cummins and Khawaja played 56 Tests together before Khawaja retired from international cricket in January, having made his Test debut in 2011 alongside Khawaja and previously played together domestically for New South Wales. Cummins noted that Usman was a friend, but expressed disappointment over how the publication handled reputations. He stated that while he fully supports Khawaja’s right to tell his story, individuals must be accountable for their words and actions.
Press Conference Details and Ongoing Fallout
During the self-arranged media conference, Cummins promised to answer all questions to avoid discussing the matter again. He revealed he had received advice that some of Khawaja’s claims were defamatory but would not take legal action. He also confirmed contact with Khawaja and Smith since publication, though not with Warner, and described the original one-year bans for Smith and Warner and a nine-month suspension for Bancroft as heavy-handed. Furthermore, Cummins stated he had no recollection of ball tampering during the 2017-18 Ashes series against England and had met with Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg, who reviewed original files and found investigation accounts consistent.
The allegations have reignited debates surrounding the cheating scandal, team culture, and reputations. While Khawaja’s claims have found support from Warner and seam bowler Chadd Sayers, they were rejected by former head coach Darren Lehmann, assistant Graeme Hick, and fellow bowler Mitchell Starc. Khawaja’s book, titled Sabr, alleged a coach urged the team to find ways to swing the ball and that Bancroft was encouraged to cheat. Cummins disputed any grand masterplan or team meeting regarding illegal methods, noting that training balls were sometimes scuffed with sandpaper or Stanley knives to practice reverse-swing, but maintained bowlers touch the ball as little as possible during matches to keep it dry.
Reflecting on the team culture from eight years ago when he was a 24-year-old playing his 13th Test, Cummins admitted he noticed behaviors involving umpires and opponents that possessed an arrogance and ugliness he disliked as a young player. As current captain since 2021, he stated he has spent significant time preventing such attitudes. As reported by BBC Sport, Cummins addressed numerous questions for over an hour without media manager intervention, expressing frustration that the scandal continues to distract Australian cricket and emphasizing that a line must eventually be drawn.
