Sportstar·India·Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 09:10 AM UTC

Cummins to address media about Khawaja’s Sandpaper-gate claims on Friday

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Pressure has been mounting for Cummins to front the media since the retired Khawaja reignited the explosive “Sandpaper-gate” episode last weekend ahead of the release of his autobiography.

Updated : Nov 12, 2026 14:40 IST , Sydney - 3 MINS READ

Pat Cummins will comment on Usman Khawaja’s allegation that the entire team knew about a plot to apply sandpaper to the ball in 2018. | Photo Credit: AFP

Pat Cummins will comment on Usman Khawaja’s allegation that the entire team knew about a plot to apply sandpaper to the ball in 2018. | Photo Credit: AFP

Australia captain Pat Cummins said he plans to address Usman Khawaja’s “long list of allegations” about the 2018 ball-tampering scandal on Friday after taking time to “better understand” them.

Pressure has been mounting for Cummins to front the media since the retired Khawaja reignited the explosive “Sandpaper-gate” episode last weekend ahead of the release of his autobiography.

In the book Khawaja alleges that the whole team, including Cummins, knew about the plot to rough up the ball with sandpaper to make it swing during the third Test against South Africa at Cape Town eight years ago.

He also claimed the tactic was used in the second Test at Port Elizabeth.

A Cricket Australia probe concluded only David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft were in the know, with all three sent home in disgrace and subsequently banned.

I'm training at Cricket Central tomorrow morning before the Blues play in the Shield match. Happy to speak with any and all media about the events of this week at 9.30 am. I've taken some time to try and better understand the long list and full extent of Uzzy's allegations so I can respond properly. Afterwards please stay and support the Blues! I'll ask CA to send out details
— Pat Cummins (@patcummins30) November 11, 2026

Cummins and fellow bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon all denied publicly in 2021 that they knew about the plan.

Cummins said he would give his version of events on Friday.

“Happy to speak with any and all media about the events of this week,” he said on social media.

ALSO READ: Marsh dodges Sandpaper-gate questions as Australia readies for England white-ball series

Warner has strongly backed close friend Khawaja’s claim that everyone knew, but Darren Lehmann, who was head coach at the time, denied any knowledge.

Former Australia batting coach Graeme Hick, who was on the South Africa tour, also rubbished Khawaja’s allegations, calling them “absolutely false” in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.

“Khawaja puts it simply: ‘It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us.’

“To me what Khawaja is implying here is absolutely false,” said former England player Hick.

“In regard to any discussions around the ball-tampering in Port Elizabeth or Cape Town that took place, I will say in true honesty that I did not hear or know anything.”

Smith and Bancroft have so far remained silent.

Cricket Australia chairman David Boon assured Cummins that his job was safe, regardless.

“We absolutely support Pat,” Boon told The Australian newspaper, adding that the team needed to look forward, not back.

“I respect (Khawaja’s) point of view and his recollections of what occurred, and they’re his, but we don’t want to get into a he-said-she-said argument,” he said.

“There are going to be supporters, there’s going to be other guys that don’t recollect the same thing, so I don’t see a purpose.”

Published on Nov 12, 2026

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