Pat Cummins on Usman Khawaja's allegations: Complete and utter nonsense, he's 100% wrong

Australia Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins has finally commented on former teammate Usman Khawaja’s allegations regarding Sandpapergate from the 2018 Cape Town Test. Khawaja has alleged that the entire team was part of the plan to use sandpaper on the ball to help in reverse swing.

However, Cummins has categorically denied those claims, calling Khawaja ‘100% wrong’. He said that he has maintained that stance for the last six years and denied having any knowledge of the incident beforehand.

"When he says we all knew, if by that he means that we knew sandpaper was going out on the field, he's 100% wrong. I've said that consistently for the last eight years; I did not know that was happening. But I think Usman actually says things that are actually far more serious than that,” Cummins said at a press conference at Cricket Central in Sydney.

Cummins also denied that the team collectively planned to tamper with the ball using sandpaper.

"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 admitted that he told Cam [Bancroft] to be careful when using sandpaper,” he added.

Khawaja had also claimed that Australia tampered with the ball during the second Test in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha), another allegation which Cummins denied.

"That was news to me this week. I had no idea. Even chatting a couple of guys, that was a revelation to us. That was one of the things that really surprised me because that doesn't happen anymore,” Cummins said.

The Australian captain also denied another of Khawaja’s allegations. The former opener has said that he had asked the entire team to take collective responsibility for the incident, but two players didn't like the idea.

Don't remember any chat about collective responsibility: Cummins

"First part, I don't remember any conversation around collective responsibility. I don't remember any team meeting where he stood up and said, 'Let's all own this as a team'. So then, to follow on, no, I've got no idea who those two people would be because I don't remember ever being asked or having a conversation about it,” Cummins said.

"I've spoken to quite a few other people, and [they are] exactly the same. Trying to piece it all together, no one remembers a team meeting where someone stood up and said, 'We got to all own this’,” he added.

While Khawaja’s book has caused a stir in the Australian cricket fraternity by revisiting Sandpapergate, Cricket Australia (CA) has denied reopening the investigation into the incident.