Sydney: Australia captain Pat Cummins has strongly rejected Usman Khawaja’s claims that members of the Australian team were aware of the ball-tampering plan during the infamous 2018 Sandpapergate scandal, describing the allegations as “utter nonsense”.
Cummins addressed the controversy during an extraordinary press conference on Friday, November 13, following revelations in Khawaja’s newly published autobiography, which revisits one of the most damaging episodes in Australian cricket history.
Khawaja has claimed that the wider team knew about the plan involving sandpaper during Australia’s Test against South Africa in Cape Town in 2018. The scandal resulted in lengthy suspensions for three Australian players and triggered widespread criticism of the team’s culture and conduct.
However, Cummins, who was part of Australia’s bowling attack in the Cape Town Test, firmly denied having any prior knowledge of the ball-tampering operation.
“If by that he means that we knew sandpaper was going out in the field, he’s 100% wrong. I’ve said that consistently for the last eight years. I did not know that was happening,” Cummins said.
The Australian captain also questioned the manner in which Khawaja had presented his claims, describing his comments as “casual” and “flippant”.
The controversy has also drawn a response from former Australia opener David Warner, one of the three players sanctioned following the scandal. Warner, a longtime friend and former teammate of Khawaja, backed the former opener’s account and criticised Cricket Australia’s investigation at the time.
Warner described the investigation as rushed and botched, calling for greater accountability and transparency over how the episode was handled.
The Sandpapergate scandal erupted during Australia’s 2018 Test tour of South Africa when Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball. Subsequent investigations led to suspensions for then-captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and Bancroft.
The episode resulted in significant leadership changes and became a defining controversy in Australian cricket, with questions continuing to emerge about the extent of players’ knowledge and the investigation that followed.
Khawaja’s latest revelations have reopened the debate, bringing renewed attention to the events in Cape Town and the extent of responsibility within the Australian dressing room.
Cummins’ latest remarks underline that the disagreement over what the wider team knew about the incident remains unresolved, even eight years after the scandal.
