Pat Cummins has rejected allegations that the entire Australian cricket team was implicated in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, labeling the claims as “complete and utter nonsense.”
The current Australian captain held a press conference at Cricket New South Wales’ headquarters in Sydney one week after former teammate Usman Khawaja released his memoir, Sabr. In the book, Khawaja alleges that more than the three players sanctioned by Cricket Australia—Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft—were aware of the team’s ball-tampering plans during the South Africa tour, the Guardian reported.
Denial of Sandpapergate Claims
Cummins addressed the specific allegation that the team had a pre-meditated plan to use sandpaper on the ball. He maintained that he had no knowledge of the plot and did not observe any tampering during the matches.
“He says that I and others were architects of a scheme to ball tamper with sandpaper. That’s complete and utter nonsense,” Cummins told reporters. He stated that he was “genuinely shocked” to read Khawaja’s admission that he had cautioned Bancroft about using sandpaper at the time.
While Cummins acknowledged that the 2018 team operated with an “ugly underbelly” and a “win-at-all-cost” mentality, he insisted there was no wider conspiracy. “There’s no grand plan, there’s no bowlers saying, ‘this is what must happen,’” he said, according to the Guardian.
Dispute Over Captaincy and Racism
Beyond the ball-tampering allegations, Cummins addressed Khawaja’s claim that he was bypassed for the Australian captaincy because of his race. In Sabr, Khawaja described being “flabbergasted” when Tim Paine was named interim captain, alleging that Cricket Australia was not prepared for a “brown Australian cricket captain.”
Cummins dismissed the assertion that skin color was a factor in leadership appointments. “Him saying that if you’re Australian captain you have to be a certain skin colour, I couldn’t disagree with that statement any more,” Cummins stated. He identified this as the most serious allegation in the book, according to the Guardian.
Cummins Declines Legal Action to Focus on Team Culture
Reporting from News18 notes that Cummins confirmed he received advice suggesting some of the allegations in the memoir were “probably defamatory.” However, the captain confirmed he has no intention of pursuing legal action against his former teammate.
“You’ve got to move on,” Cummins said. “It’s been eight years … You got to draw the line at some point.”
Cummins emphasized that his focus remains on the current team culture, which he has worked to reform since taking the captaincy. He noted that he has moved away from the abrasive style of play that characterized the 2018 squad, aiming to eliminate the arrogance he felt existed at that time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Pat Cummins know about the ball-tampering in 2018?
No. Cummins stated during the press conference that he “did not know that was happening” and “did not see anything on the ball” at the time of the incident in South Africa.
Khawaja alleged in his book that he was not considered for the Australian captaincy after the 2018 scandal because he is a “brown Australian,” a claim that Cummins strongly rejected.
Has Pat Cummins taken legal action against Usman Khawaja regarding the allegations in his book? No. While Cummins noted he received advice that some claims in the book were “probably defamatory,” he stated, “I won’t be doing that,” citing a need to move on from the events of eight years ago.
Earlier coverage: Pat Cummins Slams Usman Khawaja's Sandpaper Scandal Claims as 'Utter Nonsense
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