Pat Cummins Denies Usman Khawaja's Sandpaper Claims As Utter Nonsense

Australia Test captain Pat Cummins has strongly rejected former team-mate Usman Khawaja's claims regarding the 2018 sandpaper scandal, calling them 100% wrong and complete nonsense during a 68-minute media conference in Sydney. In his new autobiography titled Sabr, Khawaja alleged that the entire Australian team knew about the ball-tampering scheme in Cape Town and that Cummins and others were architects of the plot. Cummins countered that while he supports Khawaja's right to tell his story, his former colleague has been casual with people's lives and reputations.

Reactions and Support

The allegations have divided former players and staff, with Khawaja receiving support from David Warner and seam bowler Chadd Sayers. However, Darren Lehmann, Graeme Hick, and bowler Mitchell Starc have denied the claims. Cummins also stated he received advice that some claims are defamatory but will not pursue legal action, adding that he considers the bans handed to Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft at the time to have been heavy-handed.

Context

This follows an earlier report, covered earlier on 13 Nov 2026: 'Wrong' and 'nonsense' - Cummins on Khawaja sandpaper claims. The 2018 ball-tampering incident during a Test match against South Africa remains one of the biggest controversies in modern cricket history. Such allegations often resurface when former players release tell-all memoirs detailing past team dynamics and investigations.