'Wrong' and 'nonsense' - Cummins on Khawaja sandpaper claims
Source: BBC Sport ↗
Australia’s Test captain Pat Cummins publicly refuted former teammate Usman Khawaja’s allegations that the entire Australian side, including Cummins, knew about the 2018 sand‑paper scandal during the Cape Town Test against South Africa. In a 68‑minute media conference in Sydney, Cummins called Khawaja’s claims “100 % wrong” and “utter nonsense”, insisting he never knew sandpaper was being taken onto the field and that no “masterplan” existed. He stressed that while he supports Khawaja’s right to tell his story, the accusations damage reputations and must be accountable.
Khawaja’s accusations, made in his newly released autobiography, revive debate over the original investigation that punished Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft for deliberately tampering with the ball. Khawaja alleged the whole team was urged to find ways to swing the ball, that a coach encouraged cheating, and that he had asked teammates to collectively take responsibility—a request he says was rejected. Cummins said he has no recollection of any such suggestion, and noted that the four main bowlers from that tour—himself, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon—have consistently denied any knowledge, even issuing a joint statement in 2021. He also mentioned that Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg has reviewed the original investigation files and found the accounts “consistent”, and that he will not pursue legal action over the allegedly defamatory claims.
The controversy has drawn support for Khawaja from Warner and former bowler Chadd Sayers, while former coach Darren Lehmann, assistant Graeme Hick and Starc have dismissed the allegations. Cummins, who has captained Australia since 2021 and played 77 Tests, said he met with Greenberg after the book’s release and that he has only ever witnessed a single instance of ball‑tampering in his career, during a domestic Sheffield Shield match. The dispute continues to dominate Australian media, reigniting scrutiny of the culture and accountability within the national cricket team.
⚡ Effects Interpreter
🌍World Economylow impact
What this means for you
- ▶Trading partners on the other side of the world might feel a distant nudge.
- ▶Foreign direct investment decisions can hinge on how this plays out.
🏙️Local Economymedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Ticket resales and travel bookings tend to spike around events like this.
- ▶The local economy gets a short, sharp lift whenever the fixture list is kind.
🏦Rates & Banksmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Watching how currency markets react can hint at where rates head next.
- ▶Borrowing plans are usually safe from sudden shocks over something like this.
❤️Healthmedium impact
What this means for you
- ▶Fans' hearts race with the drama — in a mostly good way.
- ▶Watching a big match together can be its own kind of stress relief.
💷Wealthlow impact
What this means for you
- ▶A modest, well-diversified nest egg tends to absorb shocks like this quietly.
- ▶Your household's overall financial health matters more than any one day's numbers.
🏠Housinglow impact
What this means for you
- ▶The property market tends to move slowly, so expect any change to take time.
- ▶First-time buyers watching the market closely may see little change in the short term.
🌍 Effects for your country
The U.S.'s central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The U.S.'s economy is growing at 2.3% with inflation at 3.6%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the U.S.'s own central bank rate closely. With the U.S.'s unemployment at 4.2%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the U.S. depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UK's central bank rate currently stands at 3.75%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UK's economy is growing at 1.3% with inflation at 3.3%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UK's own central bank rate closely. With the UK's unemployment at 5.3%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UK depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
France's central bank rate currently stands at 2%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. France's economy is growing at 0.4% with inflation at 2.4%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track France's own central bank rate closely. With France's unemployment at 8.4%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is already under strain. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in France depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
Romania's central bank rate currently stands at 6.5%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. Romania's economy is growing at -0.5% with inflation at 8.2%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track Romania's own central bank rate closely. With Romania's unemployment at 6.5%, personal-finance effects like this land on a labour market that is currently fairly stable. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in Romania depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.
The UAE's central bank rate currently stands at 3.65%, so a global rates move like this could feed through to local borrowing costs. The UAE's economy is growing at -3.9% with inflation at 4.5%, the backdrop this story's effects play out against locally. Housing-market effects like this are usually felt most where mortgage rates track the UAE's own central bank rate closely. Health-system effects are harder to localise from economic indicators alone — the real impact in the UAE depends more on local healthcare capacity than the figures above.