Pat Cummins breaks silence after Usman Khawaja’s explosive Sandpaper-gate claims

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Pat Cummins has taken aim at Usman Khawaja’s “complete and utter nonsense”, accusing his former teammate of being “casual” with the “lives and reputations” of his friends.

Pat Cummins has taken aim at Usman Khawaja’s “complete and utter nonsense”, accusing his former teammate of being “casual” with the “lives and reputations” of his friends.

The Australian cricket captain broke his silence on Friday morning — in an extraordinary hour-long-plus press conference — after taking time to fully understand Khawaja’s sandpaper allegations.

Cummins was in just his 13th Test at Cape Town 2018 but has captained the side since 2021, overhauling what he termed as an “ugly underbelly” within the side’s “win at all costs mentality”.

He said Khawaja is “100 per cent wrong” that “we knew sandpaper was going out in the field” despite only Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft taking the fall.

“But I think Usman actually said things that are more serious. He says that I and others were architects of a scheme to ball tamper with sandpaper — that’s complete and utter nonsense,” Cummins said.

“I was genuinely shocked this week that Usman admitted that he told Cam be careful when using sandpaper. That’s not the Usman who I know.

“It’s not the Usman who I think has been part of a team that has helped rebuild Australian cricket culture over the last eight years, and the Usman who would have stopped that from happening.

“Friends aren’t casual with lives and reputations. He’s been casual with my life and many others. We have to be accountable for the things that we say and do.”

As he later chose his words carefully, he said: “Usman’s a friend. But I think the way he’s kind of been quite casual and flippant with people’s lives and Australian cricket I don’t think that’s OK and that’s not what friends do ... I think it’s irresponsible.”

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