Australia captain Pat Cummins has strongly rejected claims made by Usman Khawaja in his newly published autobiography regarding the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
Usman Khawaja's recently released autobiography, 'Sabr', has reignited the debate surrounding Australia's infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal. The former Australian opener claimed that the entire touring squad was aware of the plan to use sandpaper on the ball during the South Africa tour. He also made several revelations about the incident, prompting fresh questions about the involvement of players who were part of the team at the time.
On Friday, November 13, Australia captain Pat Cummins addressed the allegations at a press conference ahead of the team's home-season opener against England in Perth. Cummins strongly rejected Khawaja's claims, describing the suggestion that he was involved in planning the ball-tampering incident as completely false.
The Australian skipper maintained that he had consistently denied knowing about the use of sandpaper and insisted that he had no involvement in the incident.
"When he says we all knew, if by that he means that we knew sandpaper was going out in the field, he's 100% wrong. I've said that consistently for the last eight years," Cummins told reporters.
What happened in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal?
The infamous ball-tampering incident took place during Australia's third Test against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town in March 2018. Television cameras caught Cameron Bancroft attempting to alter the condition of the ball using sandpaper.
Following an investigation, Cricket Australia handed one-year suspensions to then-captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner for their involvement in the incident. Bancroft, who was caught using the sandpaper, received a nine-month suspension. All three players accepted their punishments and subsequently returned to international cricket.
Cummins also expressed surprise over Khawaja's revelations about Bancroft and the former opener's alleged involvement in discussions surrounding the incident. He insisted that the claims made in the autobiography went beyond suggesting that players knew about the sandpaper.
"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."
What did Cummins say about Khawaja's allegations?
Cummins acknowledged Khawaja's right to share his recollections through his autobiography but expressed disappointment over the allegations involving him and other members of the Australian team. He said he was particularly surprised by Khawaja's account of Bancroft's involvement and the suggestion that the former opener had warned him about using sandpaper.
The Australia captain also questioned how Khawaja's revelations could affect the reputations of several individuals who were part of the team during that period.
"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 been part of a team, has helped rebuild the Australian cricket culture over the last eight years."
Cummins further stated that although Khawaja was a friend, he believed the former opener should have been more careful while making such serious allegations in his book.
"Usman's a friend, but friends aren't casual with each other's lives and reputations.
"In his book, Ussie has been casual with my life and the lives of many others, and I think Australian cricket."
The Australian skipper also responded to Khawaja's claim that two players had rejected his suggestion of taking collective responsibility for the ball-tampering controversy. Cummins said he could not recall any such discussion taking place within the team.
"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."
Will Cummins take legal action against Khawaja?
Despite expressing strong objections to the allegations, Cummins has ruled out pursuing legal action against his former teammate. The Australian captain revealed that he had received legal advice regarding some of the statements made by Khawaja but did not intend to take the matter to court.
"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.
He also stressed that the controversy had already been discussed extensively over the past eight years and that it was time for Australian cricket to move forward.
"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."
Cummins' response has added another dimension to the controversy surrounding Khawaja's autobiography, with the 2018 ball-tampering scandal once again becoming a major talking point in Australian cricket.