Pat Cummins addresses Usman Khawaja’s upcoming autobiography

Australia captain Pat Cummins has addressed the upcoming release of Usman Khawaja’s autobiography, stating he has no concerns regarding potential revelations about the 2018 ball-tampering scandal. Khawaja, who retired from international cricket in January, played in all four Tests during the controversial South African tour where the ‘sandpapergate’ incident occurred.

Cummins noted that Khawaja provided him with a heads-up about the book several weeks ago but did not disclose specific details. Cummins emphasized that the matter was extensively investigated years ago and that the team has since moved on.

The comments arrive as the Australian team prepares for its first Test series in South Africa since the 2018 scandal. While batters Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft received bans at the time, the four bowlers present during the match—Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon—have consistently denied having prior knowledge of the plan to alter the ball.