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‘Utter Nonsense’ — Australia Skipper Pat Cummins Denies Involvement in Sandpaper Plot
Cummins says Khawaja’s allegations about the 2018 sandpaper plot are wrong and warns the claims could be defamatory.
On Friday, Australia Test cricket captain Pat Cummins rejected allegations from former teammate Usman Khawaja that the entire team knew about the 2018 ball-tampering plot, calling the claims "complete and utter nonsense" during a Sydney press conference.
Khawaja's autobiography, Sabr, asserts that discussions regarding ball alteration were known within the team during the 2018 South Africa tour, claiming the practice was not limited to the three players originally banned for "Sandpapergate."
Former Australian cricketer David Warner backed Khawaja's account on Monday, stating the claims were "100% accurate" while criticizing Cricket Australia's original investigation as "botched."
Cummins accused Khawaja of being "casual" and "flippant" with the reputations of friends, expressing shock at Khawaja's admission regarding instructions given to Cameron Bancroft during the scandal.
Their 15-year friendship has become the latest casualty of the controversy, underscoring lingering tensions from the eight-year-old scandal that Cummins has worked to overhaul since taking captaincy in 2021.