Australia captain Pat Cummins has again denied any involvement in the plot to use sandpaper on the ball in a Test against South Africa in 2018, describing the allegations in Usman Khawaja’s autobiography as “utter nonsense”.
asserted
Cummins → deny → nonsense
Former Australia batsman Khawaja, whose autobiography was published on Tuesday, said last weekend that all the players in the team knew about the plot to rough up the ball with sandpaper to make it swing.
asserted
it → publish → sandpaper
His latest comments triggered calls for a new investigation into the incident.
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The scandal centred around the third Test in Cape Town, but Khawaja also claimed the tactic was used in the second Test at Port Elizabeth.
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tactic → trigger → Elizabeth
“When he says we all knew, if by that he means that we knew sandpaper was going out in the field, he’s 100 percent wrong.
asserted
he → say → field
I’ve said that consistently for the last eight years,” Cummins told a news conference in Sydney on Friday.
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Cummins → say → Friday
“I did not know that was happening, but I think Usman actually says things that are actually far more serious than that.
asserted
that → know → that
“He says that I and others were architects of a scheme to ball tamper with sandpaper.
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I → say → sandpaper
That’s complete and utter nonsense.
asserted
That → ’ → ?
“There was no master plan around using illegal methods,” he added.
asserted
he → be → methods
There’s no bowlers saying ‘this is what must happen’.”
asserted
what → ’ → ?
Cummins and fellow bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon all denied publicly in a 2021 statement that they were aware of the plan.
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they → deny → plan
Darren Lehmann, who was the Australian head coach at the time, has also denied any knowledge, as has former batting coach Graeme Hick, who called Khawaja’s allegations “absolutely false”.
asserted
who → deny → allegations
Cummins spoke for 68 minutes on Friday, taking every question from the media and saying he would never discuss the ball-tampering incident again.
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he → speak → incident
The Australia skipper also took exception to Pakistan-born Khawaja’s contention in the book that the colour of his skin and background had prevented him from becoming Australia captain.
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colour → take → him
“I think of all the things that I’ve read this week, I think that’s actually the most serious,” he said.
asserted
he → think → that
“Him saying that if you’re Australian captain, you have to be a certain skin colour, I couldn’t disagree with that statement any more.”
asserted
I → say → statement
Steve Smith and David Warner, the then-Australia captain and vice-captain, were banned by Cricket Australia from elite cricket for a year for their roles in the ball-tampering.
asserted
Smith → ban → tampering
Opening batter Cameron Bancroft, who brought a piece of sandpaper onto the field, received a nine-month suspension for his part in the ball-tampering.
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who → bring → tampering
“I was genuinely shocked this week when I found out that Usman admitted that he told Cam to be careful when using sandpaper.
asserted
he → find → sandpaper
That’s not the Usman that I know,” Cummins said.
asserted
Cummins → ’ → that
“It’s not the Usman that has helped rebuild the Australian cricket culture over the last eight years.”
asserted
that → ’ → years
Later on Friday, Warner said the trio had paid a heavy price for the incident and revealed that his wife Candice had lost a baby in the aftermath of what became known as “Sandpapergate“.
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what → say → Sandpapergate
“I still stick by Uzzie and what he has written in that book.
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he → stick → book
It is the truth,” the former Test opener said in TV commentary ahead of a one-day international between Australia and England.
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opener → say → Australia
“I actually feel for [Khawaja] at the moment.
asserted
I → feel → moment
I actually feel that the captain today threw Uzzie under the bus and I’m very disappointed by that.”
asserted
I → feel → that
‘Casual with lives and reputations’
Cummins was asked about Khawaja’s recollection that two players had rejected the batsman’s call for the team to take collective responsibility for the ball-tampering.
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team → ask → tampering
“I don’t remember any conversation around collective responsibility,” he said.
asserted
he → remember → responsibility
“So then, 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.”
asserted
I → get → it
Khawaja and Warner have also been critical of the Cricket Australia investigation in 2018 that found the three punished players solely responsible for the plot.
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players → find → plot
“I got asked to be part of that review,” Cummins said.
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Cummins → ask → review
Nothing’s changed.”
asserted
Nothing → change → ?
Earlier this week, the head of Cricket Australia ruled out opening another investigation into the 2018 incident.
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head → rule → incident
Cummins said he respected the right of Khawaja to tell his story in the autobiography but felt some of the allegations were very serious and had to be addressed.
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some → say → allegations
“Usman’s a friend, but friends aren’t casual with each other’s lives and reputations,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → lives
“In his book, Uzzie has been casual with my life and the lives of many others, and I think Australian cricket.”
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I → think → cricket
Cummins added, though, that he would not be taking legal action against Khawaja over the allegations in the book.
asserted
he → add → book
“I did get advised this week that some of the things that’ve been said are probably defamatory, but I won’t be doing that,” Cummins said.
asserted
Cummins → advise → that
“You’ve got to move on.
asserted
You → get → ?
We’re moving on.
asserted
We → move → ?
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
