'Not the Usman that I know': Cummins breaks silence on Khawaja's claims on ball-tampering

Australia skipper Pat Cummins has finally responded to Usman Khawaja's claims that the entire playing XI knew about the ball-tampering plan during the 2018 Newlands Test. Cummins, in a media interaction in Sydney on Friday (Nov 13), called the allegations made in Khawaja's autobiography, Sabr, 'utter nonsense.' Cummins's response came after days of uproar in Cricket Australia following the release of the book. David Warner, one of the three players sanctioned in the aftermath, called Khawaja's claims '100% true', while Mitchell Starc, one of the bowlers in the Test, denied having knowledge of the ball-tampering plans.

Cummins responds to Khawaja's allegations

"When he says we all knew, if by that he means that we knew sandpaper was going out on the field, he's 100% wrong," Cummins said during the media interaction. He also went on to call out Khawaja for other claims as well.

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"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. I was genuinely shocked this week when I found out that Usman admitted that he told Cam [Bancroft] to be careful when using sandpaper.

"That's not the Usman that I know. It's not the Usman that I think, or that has been part of a team that's helped rebuild this Australian cricket culture over the last eight years, and you know the Usman that would have stopped that from happening there and then. Usman's a friend, but friends aren't casual with each other's lives and reputations."

What had happened in the Newlands Test

During the Test, Aussie opener Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper on the ball to roughen it in order to get some reverse swing. After the Test, Bancroft, skipper Steve Smith, and his deputy at the time, Warner, were reprimanded by Cricket Australia, including being banned. The incident saw a leadership change in the Australian team, with Cummins eventually ending up leading the side.