Pat Cummins denies knowledge of sandpaper plot in new book claims

Captain rejects team-wide involvement claims

Pat Cummins appeared before reporters at Cricket NSW headquarters to refute statements from former teammate Usman Khawaja. The Australia Test captain called the allegations that the entire squad was implicated as complete and utter nonsense. He stated he had no knowledge of the ball tampering plot involving sandpaper during the match in South Africa. Cummins emphasized that while he respects Khawaja's right to tell his story, the claims are factually incorrect regarding his involvement.

Previous punishments and current context

Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft received long suspensions after Cricket Australia investigated the incident shortly after it occurred. Smith and Warner were banned for a year while Bancroft faced a nine-month suspension for bringing the game into disrepute. All three players accepted their punishments and later returned to Test cricket without further legal action from the governing body. In his memoir, Khawaja claims that knowledge of the team's plans extended beyond the three banned players.

Friendship strained by public accusations

Cummins described Khawaja as a friend but noted that friends are not casual with each other's lives and reputations. He expressed shock upon learning Khawaja admitted telling Bancroft to be careful when using sandpaper in the field. The captain said he has been grappling over recent days regarding whether their relationship was irrevocably harmed by these comments. Cummins noted that no masterplan existed for employing illegal tactics and no grand scheme linked to the bowlers was present.