Sports · Cricket · 50 mins ago
Cummins to answer questions on Khawaja’s ball-tampering claims
Australian captain Pat Cummins will answer questions on Friday about claims by former teammate Usman Khawaja concerning the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
In his new autobiography, Khawaja says the whole team knew about the Cape Town incident, not only the three players punished at the time.
Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper during a Test in Cape Town, South Africa, in March 2018.
Steve Smith and David Warner received 12-month bans, while Bancroft was suspended for nine months.
Cummins and fellow bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon said in a 2021 statement that they did not know a foreign substance had been taken onto the field.
Khawaja’s claims have renewed scrutiny of what the bowlers knew, and Starc said he first heard of alleged sandpaper use in an earlier Test in Port Elizabeth when Khawaja raised it.
Cummins said he had taken time to understand the claims before responding.
Pat Cummins says he will speak to reporters about Usman Khawaja’s claims concerning Australia’s 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
Cummins said he had taken time to understand the full extent of the allegations before responding.
Khawaja’s book says knowledge of the plan to use sandpaper extended beyond the three players sanctioned over the Cape Town Test.
Australia’s bowling group has previously denied knowing that a foreign substance had been taken onto the field.
Cummins is due to speak at Cricket Central in Sydney ahead of a New South Wales Sheffield Shield match.
- Who
- Pat Cummins, Australia’s Test captain, will answer questions about claims made by former teammate Usman Khawaja.
- What
- Cummins plans to speak publicly about allegations concerning ball tampering in 2018. Khawaja says knowledge of the plan extended beyond the three sanctioned players.
- When
- Friday morning, at 9:30am AEDT, according to Cummins. Cricket Australia had not confirmed an official time.
- Where
- Cricket Central, the New South Wales cricket headquarters in Sydney.
- Why
- Khawaja’s book and public comments have renewed scrutiny of what the Australian team knew about the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper on the ball during the Cape Town Test, and Cricket Australia sanctioned Bancroft, David Warner and Steve Smith.
Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon said in a joint statement they did not know a foreign substance had been taken onto the field.
Cummins posted that he would speak to media about the events of the week and said he needed time to understand Khawaja’s allegations.
Cummins is due to speak to reporters at Cricket Central in Sydney.
- Press conference
- Friday at 9:30am AEDT, according to Cummins
- Venue
- Cricket Central, Sydney
- Book
- Sabr, by Usman Khawaja
- Cape Town Test
- 2018
- Sanctioned players
- Cameron Bancroft, David Warner and Steve Smith
- Bowling group
- Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon
7 sources
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What people are saying
I’ve taken some time to try and better understand the long list and full extent of Uzzy’s allegations so I can respond properly.
It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us.
I can’t believe we haven’t heard from Pat Cummins yet, the Australian captain
Yeah, that's the first I was aware of any of that taking place in PE... was when [Khawaja said it]... I'll leave that for said authors to explain,
Posts on X
I'm training at Cricket Central tomorrow morning before the Blues play in the Shield match. Happy to speak with any and all media about the events of this week at 9.30 am. I've taken some time to try and better understand the long list and full extent of Uzzy’s allegations so I