Sydney (Pakistan News) Australian Test Captain Pat Cummins has hit back hard at Usman Khawaja, flatly rejecting all claims made by his former teammate regarding the infamous 2018 Sandpaper Gate scandal. Cummins accused Khawaja of taking the lives and reputations of others lightly after the former opening batsman released explosive new revelations in his autobiography, Sabr.
During a press conference lasting over an hour in Sydney, Cummins specifically addressed claims regarding the Cape Town Test. He expressed deep concern over Khawaja’s assertion that he had warned Cameron Bancroft to be careful while using sandpaper on the ball.
Cummins strongly denied any prior knowledge of the plan to smuggle sandpaper onto the field, dismissing assertions that he or the wider Australian bowling attack were architects of the ball-tampering scheme. He questioned why Khawaja waited eight years to bring these allegations to light.
“Usman is a friend, but friends don’t treat each other’s lives and reputations with carelessness and irresponsibility,” Cummins stated. “In his book, he has treated my life, the lives of many others, and I believe Australian cricket with a lack of seriousness.”
While acknowledging Khawaja’s right to tell his story, the Australian captain emphasized that making such allegations carries heavy responsibility, especially when they directly impact other individuals. Clarifying his stance, Cummins added that if Khawaja implies the entire team knew sandpaper was being brought onto the field, that claim is “100 percent wrong.”
The controversy was reignited after Usman Khawaja’s autobiography Sabr hit bookshelves, featuring startling claims that the entire Australian team was aware of the ball-tampering plot. Khawaja argued that the truth needed to come out after eight years, maintaining that the team should shoulder responsibility together as a collective unit.