Pat Cummins calls Khawaja's Sandpapergate claims '100 per cent wrong' and 'utter nonsense'

Pat Cummins has finally broken his silence on the week that put Australian cricket under a harsh spotlight, and he did not mince words. The Test and ODI captain flatly rejected the claim in Usman Khawaja's new autobiography that the entire 2018 South Africa-tour squad knew sandpaper was being used to scuff the ball in Cape Town.

"When he says we all knew, if by that he means that we knew sandpaper was going out on the field, that is 100 per cent wrong," Cummins told a press conference on Friday. "I've said that consistently for the last eight years, I did not know that was happening."

The row started with Khawaja's book "Sabr", in which the former opener claimed the whole team, not just Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, was in on the plan. Cricket Australia's official line has always been that only those three men knew, and all three served bans of up to 12 months.

"Architects of a scheme"

Cummins said Khawaja's words went further than a claim of collective awareness, and that is what stung. "He says that I and others were architects of a scheme to ball tamper with sandpaper. That's complete and utter nonsense," Cummins said. "I was genuinely shocked this week when I found out that Usman admitted that he told Cam [Bancroft] to be careful when using sandpaper."

The skipper said that version of events does not match the teammate he has helped rebuild the team with. "That's not the Usman that I know... Usman's a friend, but friends aren't casual with each other's lives and reputations."

Cummins was equally blunt about the idea of a coordinated plan, which he said is "maybe something that hasn't been spoken about enough". "There was no master plan around using illegal methods," he said, repeating the bowlers' denial they signed together back in 2021.

He made clear he does not begrudge Khawaja the right to tell his own story, only the cost of it. "I support his right to tell a story 100%," Cummins said. "I'm really glad that he feels like he can, but we have to be accountable for the things that we say and do."