Image source, Getty ImagesUsman Khawaja (left) and Pat Cummins played 56 Tests together for Australia
ByStephan ShemiltCricket Correspondent
Pat Cummins has spoken to Usman Khawaja about his former team-mate’s upcoming autobiography, but the Australia captain said he has no concerns about potential sandpapergate revelations.
On Friday, Australia will begin their first Test series in South Africa since the ball-tampering scandal erupted in Cape Town in 2018.
At the time, captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and batter Cameron Bancroft were banned for their part in the plot.
Since then, the four Australia bowlers who played in that match, including Cummins, have denied they had any prior knowledge of the plan to cheat.
The quartet, who released a joint statement about the episode in 2021, are once again set to be united in the first Test against South Africa in Durban.
Khawaja played in all four Tests in 2018 and retired from international cricket in January. His autobiography will be released in November.
“Uz gave me a buzz a few weeks back that he is releasing a book,” said Cummins. “He didn’t go into too much detail, just basically gave me the heads-up that he is doing a book and, as always, no worries.
“Tell your story. It’s fine. It’s obviously a long time ago and all the investigations, everything was done back then and we answered every question a million times.
“It was dealt with then and all I can say is that as a group, we have moved on and we are very happy with the last eight to nine years how we have been as a group and evolved and obviously my focus is on captaining the cricket team.”
At the time of the ball-tampering controversy, Smith explained it was devised by the “leadership group” of the Australian team on the third day of the third Test in Cape Town. Bancroft was caught rubbing sandpaper on the ball the same day.
While Smith, Warner and Bancroft – all batters – were punished, there was never an explanation of how bowlers Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon did not notice a change in the state of the ball.
In a 2021 interview with the Guardian, Bancroft was asked if the bowlers knew and replied: “It’s pretty probably self-explanatory.”
Days after Bancroft’s interview was published, Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon released their statement which said: “We feel compelled to put the key facts on the record again.
“We did not know a foreign substance was taken onto the field to alter the condition of the ball until we saw the images on the big screen at Newlands.
“And to those who, despite the absence of evidence, insist that ‘we must have known’ about the use of a foreign substance simply because we are bowlers, we say this: The umpires during that Test match, Nigel Llong and Richard Illingworth, both very respected and experienced umpires, inspected the ball after the images surfaced on the TV coverage and did not change it because there was no sign of damage.
“We respectfully request an end to the rumour-mongering and innuendo. It has gone on too long and it is time to move on.”
Earlier this week, left-arm seamer Starc referenced the scandal when he said: “What’s left to come out after eight years?”
And, speaking on Thursday, Cummins said the episode was “a long time ago”.
“It’s nothing new,” the 33-year-old told ABC. “We’ve spoken about it a little bit. If the crowd gets rowdy or whatever, if someone needs an extra helping hand, we’re around.
“To be honest, it’s so long ago and we, as a group, move on from things pretty quickly. It hasn’t taken up too much of our time.”
The trip to South Africa is the first in a year of high-profile away series for Australia. After what appears to be a stern challenge against New Zealand in their home summer, Cummins’ men then travel to India and defend the Ashes in England next year.
With all-rounder Cameron Green ruled out because of injury, the tourists are likely to choose between Cooper Connolly and Nic Maddinson for a place in the middle order.
On a Durban pitch expected to turn, South Africa have included two spinners – Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer – in their XI.
