David Warner Blasts Pat Cummins: "Captain Threw Usman Khawaja Under The Bus"

David Warner slammed Pat Cummins for throwing Usman Khawaja under the bus© AFP

Former batter David Warner on Friday accused Australian skipper Pat Cummins of throwing Usman Khawaja "under the bus" and asserted that what his one-time opening partner wrote in his autobiography about the 2018 ball tampering scandal was "true". Warner mounted a vehement defence of Khawaja after Cummins struck down the claims of Khawaja that the entire Australian team was aware of the ball-tampering plot that became known as 'Sandpapergate' during a Test series against South Africa in 2018.

In a press conference in Sydney, Cummins said Khawaja's assertions were "utter nonsense" and accused him of being "casual and flippant" about the lives of those who were affected by the controversy. Warner said the Test skipper's statement disappointed him.

"I still stick by Uzzy and what he's written in that book, because it is the truth, and I really, really support him," Warner said on Fox Cricket ahead of Australia's first ODI against England.

"I actually feel for him at the moment. I actually feel that today, the captain threw Uzzy under the bus, and I'm very, very disappointed about that.

"All three of us have paid a big price in this thing. I hadn't spoken about it in eight years, but at the end of the day, we've got to live with these consequences daily. We've been served a life punishment," he added.

Apart from Warner, then skipper Steve Smith and batter Cameron Bancroft were handed bans of varying lengths by Cricket Australia eight years ago.

"When other people talk about how they've been affected by it, there's nothing worse for me, Steve and Cam, who have to walk out there every day and we cop abuse.

"Yes, we accepted it, but at the end of the day, my wife and I paid the greatest price. We lost a baby during that time. That's why it really hurts me the most until the truth is accepted," he said.

Langer hopes it ends now

Former Australian coach Justin Langer, who took over the job post Sandpapergate, hoped everyone would move on from the sordid saga at the earliest.

"I think he (Cummins) did what he had to do. Strong leaders, they stand up ... the captain stood up and Mitch Marsh stood up yesterday," Langer told SEN.

"Hopefully, that'll put some sort of line in the sand, because we have to move on. There's too many people being hurt in Australian cricket, and that includes the Australian public.

"We have to draw a line in the sand somewhere ... whether the press conference today is going to help that or hinder that, time will tell," said Langer.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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