Pat Cummins rejects Khawaja’s ball-tampering claims as ‘complete nonsense’

• Pat Cummins has rejected Usman Khawaja’s claims that senior Australian players orchestrated the 2018 Cape Town ball-tampering scandal, calling the allegations “complete and utter nonsense”

• Cummins expressed disappointment over Khawaja’s memoir Sabr, disputing claims about the team’s involvement in both Cape Town and Port Elizabeth

• He acknowledged serious flaws in Australia's 2018 team culture but said the current side has moved away from its win-at-all-costs mentality

Australia Test captain Pat Cummins has strongly rejected Usman Khawaja’s allegations over the 2018 Cape Town ball-tampering scandal, describing claims that he and other teammates orchestrated the incident as “complete and utter nonsense”.

Cummins broke his silence on Friday, addressing the controversy during a 70-minute press conference at Cricket NSW’s Silverwater headquarters. The Australian captain had faced criticism for not responding publicly since Khawaja made fresh claims in his memoir Sabr.

The controversy dates back to the infamous 2018 Test against South Africa in Cape Town, when Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball. The incident resulted in suspensions for Bancroft, then captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner.

In his memoir, Khawaja argued that the entire Australian team knew about the ball-tampering attempts and questioned why the punishment was limited to three players. He also alleged that Australia had used sandpaper during the preceding Port Elizabeth Test.

Rejecting the claims, Cummins said he had no knowledge of sandpaper being taken onto the field in Cape Town.

“When he says we all knew, if that means we knew sandpaper was going out on the field, he's 100% wrong,” Cummins told reporters.

He added that Khawaja had made more serious allegations by suggesting that he and other players were architects of a ball-tampering scheme.

“That's complete and utter nonsense,” he said.

Cummins also expressed surprise at Khawaja's account that he had warned Bancroft to be careful while using sandpaper during the Cape Town Test.

“That's not the Usman that I know,” he said, adding that he believed Khawaja should have intervened if he knew what was happening.

While acknowledging their friendship, Cummins said he was disappointed with the way Khawaja had presented the allegations in his memoir.

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

Cummins maintained that Khawaja had every right to tell his story but stressed that people must be accountable for their statements, particularly when they affect the reputations of others and Australian cricket.

He also dismissed Khawaja's allegation that sandpaper had been used during the Port Elizabeth Test, saying the claim was new to him.

“That was news to me this week. I had no idea,” Cummins said.

Despite rejecting the allegations, Cummins acknowledged that the Australian team culture in 2018 had serious shortcomings.

He described the side as having a “win-at-all-costs mentality”, with an “ugly underbelly” and divisions within the dressing room.

Reflecting on his early days in the Test team, Cummins said he was uncomfortable with the team's aggressive behaviour towards opponents and umpires.

He added that, since becoming captain, he had worked to ensure the current Australian side did not repeat those mistakes.

Cummins also recalled witnessing one instance of illegal ball tampering during a Sheffield Shield match, when a senior batter used a bottle cap to alter the ball's condition. He said the umpires intervened immediately.

Cummins said the decision on whether to launch another investigation into the 2018 scandal rested with Cricket Australia.

However, Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg had already indicated earlier in the week that the organisation would not reopen the investigation.

Cummins defended the original inquiry, saying it had followed the proper process, with players questioned in the aftermath of the incident.

He also said the controversy continued to linger eight years later because much of its surrounding context had not been adequately explained.

The captain concluded by saying he wanted to address the issue comprehensively at the press conference, while making it clear that he did not wish to revisit the matter again.

With IANS inputs