Cummins denies Khawaja's Sandpapergate claims in marathon press conference

Summarised from 6 outlets · 11 reports · Updated 14 Nov, 02:33 · Archive

Pat Cummins has rejected allegations by former teammate Usman Khawaja that the entire Australian cricket team knew about ball-tampering during the 2018 Sandpapergate scandal.

Eight years after the ball-tampering scandal that became known as Sandpapergate, the controversy has erupted again. Former batter Usman Khawaja published a new autobiography this week in which he claimed that knowledge of the scheme was shared by the entire Australian team during the 2018 Test series against South Africa, not just the three members officially punished for the incident.

Khawaja alleged that coaching staff were aware of the tampering and that Bancroft was encouraged to cheat. He also suggested that tampering had been going on prior to the Cape Town Test where Bancroft's cheating was exposed. In interviews with the media, Khawaja insisted that blame was shared by 'all of us' and that his calls for collective responsibility were rejected by certain teammates.

On Friday morning, Pat Cummins, the current Australian cricket captain, held a press conference at Cricket Central in Sydney that lasted over an hour. Cummins invited journalists to question him extensively on Sandpapergate, promising to answer until they ran out of questions. He immediately rejected Khawaja's allegations as 'complete and utter nonsense'.

Cummins said he was 'genuinely shocked' to learn that Khawaja claimed to have warned Cameron Bancroft to be careful when using sandpaper. He stated: 'When he says we all knew, if by that he means we knew sandpaper was going out on the field, he is 100 per cent wrong. I have said that consistently for the last eight years, I did not know that was happening.' Cummins also rejected the suggestion that he and others were 'architects of a scheme to ball-tamper with sandpaper'.

Cummins' position aligns with a carefully-worded statement released in 2021 by four bowlers from the 2018 tour – Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon – who denied knowing that a foreign substance had been taken onto the field to alter the ball. These bowlers had benefitted from the ball manipulation but have always distanced themselves from the episode.

David Warner, who was one of the three players punished in 2018, responded sharply to Cummins' press conference. While on punditry duty for Australia's first ODI against England on Friday, Warner accused Cummins of 'throwing Khawaja under the bus'. Warner also expressed support for Khawaja's position. Chadd Sayers, a seam bowler on the 2018 tour, has similarly supported Khawaja.

Other figures have rejected Khawaja's claims. Darren Lehmann, who was head coach during the 2018 tour, has dismissed the allegations, as have Graeme Hick, then an assistant coach, and Mitchell Starc. The divisions have extended across Australian cricket and sport more broadly, with former teammates now taking opposing positions on what occurred during that tour of South Africa.

Cummins stated that Khawaja's allegations damaged those who were not involved in the tampering. The two sides remain in what observers describe as polar opposites, with little apparent prospect of reconciliation despite both men emphasising the importance of their friendship.

How it is being reported

• 'Gloves are off' - how Australian papers reacted to Cummins on KhawajaThe Australian newpapers have their say after Pat Cummins' extraordinary 68-minute news conference.BBC News · 13 Nov, 21:53
• Australia captain Cummins denies involvement in ‘Sandpapergate’Australia cricket captain Cummins has rejected claims by ex-teammate Usman Khawaja linking him to 2018 ball-tamperingAl Jazeera · 13 Nov, 20:32
• A cricketing drama to divide a nation: why the sandpaper scandal is Australia’s Bazball | Barney RonayThe sandpaper affair is back, and the reason it has hit Australia so hard is because it is sneaky – or basically quite English Any plans for the weekend? Personally I’m all set. I will be watching the full Pat Cummins sandpaper denial press conference , filmed live on location in Sydney on Friday morning, and now preserved uncut and un-redacted on YouTube. I will not speed it up, or flick through impatiently only to find myself bogged down in endless adverts for old fat guys doing military callisthenics, and pills that will dissolve the vile writhing parasites that definitely live in my…The Guardian · 13 Nov, 20:00
• Cummins stands firm on ball tampering to leave Australian cricket back where it started | Geoff LemonThe Test captain kept his promise to answer all questions at a press conference that made his position clear and filled some but not all gaps Our coverage on Thursday said that Pat Cummins needed to front up , and nobody can fairly say that he didn’t. It was a proper ’til-they-drop affair from Australia’s cricket captain, an hour and 10 minutes at a press conference podium taking questions about the 2018 ball-tampering episode until every journalist present ran out of steam. You might have expected some partial concession to teammate Usman Khawaja’s depiction of endemic cheating, but Cummins…Guardian Sport · 13 Nov, 14:00
• Pat Cummins’ one-word answer leaves Sandpapergate with an awkward reality after marathon press conferenceAustralia’s captain promised to answer every question about Sandpapergate but, more than an hour later, his denial only deepened the divisions over what happened in Cape TownIndependent Sport · 13 Nov, 12:42
• Pat Cummins' remarkable 68-minute press conference took a clear-eyed and devastating aim at Usman Khawaja's integrity - Australia are in a civil war with no obvious resolution, writes LAWRENCE BOOTHLAWRENCE BOOTH IN PERTH: According to the red, those who knew about the plan did not include the bowlers, nothing untoward happened at Port Elizabeth, and there was no meeting.Daily Mail Sport · 13 Nov, 10:21
• David Warner furious at Pat Cummins for ‘chucking Usman Khawaja under the bus’Warner blasted Cummins’ comments after the Australian captain held a press conference to address allegations over ‘Sandpapergate’Independent Sport · 13 Nov, 09:37
• Pat Cummins says Usman Khawaja’s sandpaper scandal claims are ‘utter nonsense’Khawaja’s newly released autobiography contained a series of explosive claims about the ball-tampering drama.Independent Sport · 13 Nov, 07:09
• Cummins hopes his answers ended the sandpaper war. He is sadly mistakenIn his detailed 70-minute press conference, Pat Cummins said he hoped he could draw a line under the brewing Sandpapergate civil war. David Warner quickly proved that won't be happening.ABC News Australia · 13 Nov, 03:56
• Pat Cummins calls press conference to address Usman Khawaja sandpapergate revelationsCummins has publicly invited a media grilling in Sydney on Friday morningIndependent Sport · 12 Nov, 07:27
• Pat Cummins to address media on sandpaper scandalCummins has publicly invited a media grilling in Sydney on Friday morning.Independent Sport · 12 Nov, 00:38

In this story: Pat Cummins · Usman Khawaja · David Warner · Steve Smith · Cameron Bancroft · Australia · South Africa · Cape Town

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