Cummins calls Khawaja's sandpaper claim 'nonsense'

Cummins denies squad-wide knowledge

Australian Test captain Pat Cummins told reporters at a Sydney press conference on 13 November 2026 that Usman Khawaja's memoir account of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal was false.^[1] Cummins said: "When he says we all knew, if that he means we knew sandpaper was going out on the field, he's 100 per cent wrong. I said that consistently for the last eight years. I did not know that was happening."

Khawaja's book Sabr alleges that Australia used sandpaper during the second Test of that tour at St George's Park, before Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera at the Cape Town Test.^[2] Sabr also argues that responsibility for the episode extended beyond the three players sanctioned: Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

Bowlers-as-architects accusation rejected

Cummins pushed back directly on the claim that he and other bowlers designed the sandpaper scheme. "He says that I and others were architects of a scheme to ball-tamper with sandpaper. That's complete and utter nonsense," Cummins said.^[1]

Cricket Australia's preliminary finding in March 2018 recorded that prior knowledge of the Cape Town tampering was limited to Smith, Warner and Bancroft, with no other players or support staff found to have had prior knowledge.^[3] A later CA review-panel document records that Warner instructed Bancroft to attempt to alter the ball and demonstrated how sandpaper could be used.^[4]

The captaincy allegation

Khawaja writes in Sabr that he believed he was overlooked as interim captain after Smith's removal because decision-makers were not ready for a brown Australian captain, even temporarily.^[5] Tim Paine was appointed to the role instead.

Cummins said this was the most serious claim he had read in the book and said it demanded evidence. "To think that the job that I hold is quarantined from people based on their skin colour, that's a pretty big statement. If you're going to say that, I think you've got to have some evidence. And I just don't think that's the case," he said.^[5]

The interview dispute

Khawaja has said he was not interviewed during CA's original investigation. Cummins said he was asked to participate and recalled investigators also encouraging others with information to come forward voluntarily.^[6] "I got asked to come and be interviewed. So, I said, no worries. But I do also remember them saying, if anyone else wants to come forward and give information, you're more than welcome to, and we would encourage that," Cummins said. Cummins added he did not know why Khawaja was not asked.

CA rules out a new inquiry

Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said the governing body saw no reason to reopen the matter. "We don't see any compelling reason to open the investigation or revisit this again. I don't think there's anything that can be gained from that," Greenberg said.^[2] Greenberg also said players' recollections of the period were inconsistent.

The competing accounts remain on the public record without resolution. Australia's first Test against New Zealand is scheduled from 9 to 13 December at Perth Stadium.^[7]