“Complete and utter nonsense,” Test captain Pat Cummins stated on Friday morning at Cricket New South Wales’ headquarters, flatly denying Usman Khawaja’s claims that the entire Australian cricket team was implicated in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
The denial arrived during a press conference in Sydney where Cummins fielded questions for over an hour regarding allegations in Khawaja’s memoir, Sabr. Khawaja alleges that more than just Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft were aware of the sandpaper plot. Cummins countered that Khawaja was “100% wrong” and maintained he had no knowledge of the plan at the time.
Cummins rejected the notion that the side operated under a grand conspiracy to alter the ball. He argued that people incorrectly assume the team transitioned straight from legal methods to illegal tactics via a massive organizational blueprint.
“I think that’s maybe something that hasn’t been spoken about enough,” Pat Cummins said.
That is not the case.
“He says that I and others were architects of a scheme to ball tamper with sandpaper,” Pat Cummins said.
“I did not know that was happening” and “did not see anything on the ball” at the time, Pat Cummins said.
“I was genuinely shocked this week when I found out Usman admitted he told Cam to be careful when using sandpaper,” Cummins said. He added that the allegations were careless with his life and the reputation of Australian cricket.
“In his book he’s been casual with my life and the lives of many others and, I think, Australian cricket,” Pat Cummins said.
David Warner appeared as a commentator on Kayo shortly after the press conference concluded. Warner said that he stood by Khawaja’s account in the book.
“I actually feel for him at the moment,” Warner told Kayo. “I actually feel that the captain today threw Uzzy under the bus and I’m very disappointed by that.” Warner added that acceptance of the truth is necessary before the team can move forward.
| Individual | Role in 2018 Incident | Recent Stance / Statement |
|---|---|---|
| Pat Cummins | Current Test Captain | Denied team-wide knowledge; called claims nonsense | David Warner | Former Vice-Captain | Backed Khawaja; accused Cummins of betrayal | Usman Khawaja | Former Test Batter | Alleged broader team awareness in memoir Sabr |
Cummins conceded that the 2018 squad possessed an “ugly underbelly” featuring a win-at-all-cost mentality and abrasive on-field behavior. He said that he has spent his six years as captain actively working to eradicate that arrogance.
At the same time, Cummins rejected claims in Sabr that Khawaja was bypassed for the captaincy due to his skin color after Smith and Warner stepped down. Cummins called that allegation the most serious part of the book and stated he disagreed with it completely.
Cummins confirmed he received legal advice suggesting some allegations in the book were defamatory, but stated he will not pursue legal action. “You’ve got to move on,” he said.
Earlier coverage: Pat Cummins Dismisses Usman Khawaja's 2018 Ball-Tampering Claims
