Cummins plays down Khawaja's autobiography as Australia return to South Africa

Mixed · 2Australia captain Pat Cummins said on Thursday 8 October that he is not worried that Usman Khawaja's autobiography could cause fresh fallout over the 2018 ball-tampering scandal known as Sandpapergate. 1 2 Mixed · 2The comments came before the first Test of a three-match series at Kingsmead, Durban, on Friday, Australia's first Test tour of South Africa since the scandal. 1 2 Mixed · 2In the March 2018 Cape Town Test, Australia were caught using sandpaper to scuff the ball. Captain Steve Smith and David Warner were banned for 12 months and Cameron Bancroft, who was caught with the sandpaper, for nine months. 1 2

Left · 1Khawaja played in that Test. His book is due next month, around a week after the tour ends, and ABC reports it was written without a ghost writer and is the first autobiography from any Australian player in that match. 2 Centre · 1Cummins said Khawaja had phoned to give him a heads-up about the book without going into detail, and that he told him to "tell your story". Cummins said he did not know what the book contains and that Khawaja would have to be asked. 1 Mixed · 2Cummins said the matter was investigated and dealt with at the time, that he has "answered every question a million times", and that the group has moved on and evolved. 1 2

Mixed · 2Australian media reported at the time that Khawaja had urged the team to take collective responsibility rather than just three players. A Cricket Australia investigation found no other player knew of the plan, and the bowlers (Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon) have denied knowledge. ABC says there is no suggestion the book will contradict the investigation's findings. 1 2 Mixed · 2South African broadcaster SuperSport, whose cameras caught the 2018 incident, posted a clip of it on social media and warned its cameras would be "sharp" for the series. Cummins noted a larger-than-usual media turnout in Durban for a series between the world's top two sides, and said tensions with South Africa have thawed since 2018. 1 2