Pat Cummins dismisses fresh sandpaper plot claims as “utter nonsense”

Australia captain Pat Cummins has firmly rejected renewed allegations of his involvement in the 2018 plot to scuff the ball with sandpaper during a Test against South Africa, labelling the claims set out in Usman Khawaja’s new autobiography as “utter nonsense”.

Khawaja, the former Australia batsman whose memoir was released this week, said over the weekend that every member of the squad was aware of the scheme to rough up the ball and generate extra swing. His remarks have prompted fresh calls for a new investigation.

The controversy centred on the third Test in Cape Town, though Khawaja also alleged the tactic was deployed during the second Test at Port Elizabeth.

“When he says we all knew, if by that he means that we knew sandpaper was going out in the field, he’s 100 percent wrong. I’ve said that consistently for the last eight years,” Cummins told a news conference in Sydney on Friday.

“I did not know that was happening, but I think Usman actually says things that are actually far more serious than that.

“He says that I and others were architects of a scheme to ball tamper with sandpaper. That’s complete and utter nonsense.

“There was no master plan around using illegal methods,” he added. “There’s no grand plan. There’s no team meeting. There’s no bowlers saying ‘this is what must happen’.”

Cummins and fellow bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon publicly denied any awareness of the plan in a 2021 statement.

Darren Lehmann, the Australian head coach at the time, has also denied any knowledge, as has former batting coach Graeme Hick, who described Khawaja’s allegations as “absolutely false”.

Cummins fielded questions for 68 minutes on Friday, taking every query from the media and insisting he would never revisit the ball-tampering affair again.

The Australia skipper also took issue with the Pakistan-born Khawaja’s claim in the book that the colour of his skin and his background had cost him the chance to captain Australia.

“I think of all the things that I’ve read this week, I think that’s actually the most serious,” he said.

“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.”

Steve Smith and David Warner, the then-captain and vice-captain, were each banned by Cricket Australia from elite cricket for a year for their part in the ball-tampering.

Opening batter Cameron Bancroft, who carried a piece of sandpaper onto the field, was handed a nine-month suspension for his role.

“I was genuinely shocked this week when I found out that Usman admitted that he told Cam to be careful when using sandpaper. That’s not the Usman that I know,” Cummins said.

“It’s not the Usman that has helped rebuild the Australian cricket culture over the last eight years.”

Later on Friday, Warner said the trio had paid a heavy price for the affair and disclosed that his wife, Candice, had lost a baby in its aftermath of what became known as “Sandpapergate”.

“I still stick by Uzzie and what he has written in that book. It is the truth,” the former Test opener said during TV commentary ahead of a one-day international between Australia and England.

“I actually feel for [Khawaja] at the moment. I actually feel that the captain today threw Uzzie under the bus and I’m very disappointed by that.”

‘Casual with lives and reputations’

Cummins was questioned about Khawaja’s account that two players had turned down the batsman’s push for the team to shoulder collective responsibility for the ball-tampering.

“I don’t remember any conversation around collective responsibility,” he said.

“So then, I’ve got no idea who those two people would be because I don’t remember ever being asked or having a conversation about it.”

Khawaja and Warner have both been critical of the 2018 Cricket Australia investigation, which placed sole responsibility for the plot on the three sanctioned players.

“I got asked to be part of that review,” Cummins said. “I was totally truthful. I’ve been very consistent since then at that event till now. Nothing’s changed.”

Earlier this week, the head of Cricket Australia ruled out launching a fresh investigation into the 2018 incident.

Cummins said he respected Khawaja’s right to tell his story in the memoir but felt certain allegations were serious enough to require a response.

“Usman’s a friend, but friends aren’t casual with each other’s lives and reputations,” he said.

“In his book, Uzzie has been casual with my life and the lives of many others, and I think Australian cricket.”

Cummins added that, despite this, he would not pursue legal action against Khawaja over the claims in the book.

“I did get advised this week that some of the things that’ve been said are probably defamatory, but I won’t be doing that,” Cummins said.

“You’ve got to move on. It’s been eight years. We’re moving on. So, you got to draw a line at some point.”

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