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 has published his autobiography this week and the former batter has said the entire Australia team, which included Cummins, knew about the sandpaper scheme and should have taken responsibility.
But in an extraordinary address to the media in Sydney, Cummins countered and said: “When he says we all knew, if by that he means we knew sandpaper was going out on the field, he’s 100% wrong.
“I said that consistently for the last eight years. I did not know that was happening.
“He says that I and others were architects of a scheme to ball tamper with sandpaper. That’s complete and utter nonsense.”
Cummins and Khawaja played 56 Tests together until Khawaja retired from international cricket in January.
Khawaja was in the Australia XI when Cummins made his Test debut in 2011 and the pair were also once team-mates in domestic cricket with New South Wales.
“Usman is a friend, but friends aren’t casual with each other’s lives and reputations,” said Cummins.
“In his book he’s been casual with my life and the lives of many others – and, I think, Australian cricket.
“I support him to tell his story, 100%, I’m glad he feels like he can, but we have to be accountable for the things that we say and do.”
More to follow.