Last Updated on 2 minutes ago by Charbel Coorey
An emotional Pat Cummins has not held back in response of Usman Khawaja’s claim that everyone knew about sandpapergate in 2018. The Australian captain faced the media on Friday morning at Cricket NSW, starting with his own statements before answering questions.
Cummins began by emphatically denying the comments before questioning Khawaja’s actions as a friend.
“When he [Usman Khawaja] says “we all knew”, and by that he means, ‘we knew sandpaper was going out onto the field’, he’s 100% wrong,” Cummins said. “I’ve said that consistently for the last eight years. I did not know that was happening.”
“But I think Usman says things that are 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 had told Cam [Bancroft] to be careful when using sandpaper. That’s not the Usman that I know. It’s not the Usman that has been part of a team that has helped rebuild the Australian cricket culture over the last eight years. And the Usman that would’ve stopped that from happening there and then.
“Usman is a friend but friends are not casual with each other’s lives and reputations. In his book, Uzzy is being casual with my life and the lives of many others, and I think Australian cricket.
“I support his right to tell a story, 100%, and I’m glad that he feels that he can. But we have to be accountable for the things we say and do.”
ALSO READ: Todd Greenberg says Cricket Australia will not re-open the sandpaper investigation
“Nonsense”: Pat Cummins emphatically denies Usman Khawaja’s comments on the sandpaper ball tampering scandal
Before taking questions, Cummins admitted there was a ‘win-at-all-costs’ mentality within the Australian group in 2018. He also said there were different silos which he has tried hard to eradicate over the past six years.
“That team had a win-at-all-costs mentality, it had an ugly underbelly, and there was too many silos within the team; traits that I hope everyone has seen and I’ve tried very hard to eradicate for the last six years as captain.”
In his book Sabr, Khawaja claims he stood up and said to own the scandal as a team. Cummins says he and others do not remember this.
“I don’t remember any conversation around collective responsibility. I don’t remember any team meeting where he stood up and said, “Let’s own this as a team.” So then, you know, to follow-on note, I got no idea who those two people would be, because I don’t remember being asked or having a conversation about it,” Cummins said.
“I definitely don’t remember that. And sorry, and I have spoken to quite a few other people and exactly the same, trying to piece it altogether, no-one remembers a team meeting where someone stood up and said, ‘we got to all own this.’
“To bring it up so casually and flippingly is irresponsible.”
Cummins also responded to claims that everyone must have known given the team shares a dressing room. He said that international dressing rooms are different and the Cape Town setting has two separate changing rooms – along with a dining room and viewing balcony – meaning there “is probably going to be different accounts” of the events that took place.
Usman Khawaja has never asked me what I know – Pat Cummins
Cummins says Khawaja hasn’t spoken to him about his recollections of sandpapergate. Cummins also says he was unaware of any plans regarding sandpaper use in the previous Test at Port Elizabeth.
“Usman has never actually asked me or anyone else what we know,” Cummins says.
“There was a bit of chat around the last couple of months, but more surrounding the unknown, not what he was going to say.”
Pat Cummins speaks to Steve Smith, yet to speak to David Warner
David Warner came out in support of Usman Khawaja’s comments. The former opener, who was banned for 12 months following Cape Town, says lies will eventually come out.
“I have not spoken to Davey in the last week or so,” Cummins said.
“But, you know, similar – it’s really hard. Like, this is affecting people’s livings, and, like, I can’t imagine what particularly those three [Smith, Warner, Bancroft] went through and their families. So it’s really difficult. But, you know, I have not spoken to Davey yet, I’m sure I will at some stage.”
Cummins says he has spoken with Steve Smith, who is currently in New York. The former captain is keen to move on.
More to come….
