Cummins rejects Khawaja at hour-long news conference as Australian papers respond

Pat Cummins hit back at Usman Khawaja at a news conference on Friday over claims in Khawaja's autobiography, in a controversy that has reignited the Sandpapergate scandal eight years after the 2018 Cape Town incident. The news conference lasted for over an hour at the end of a week that has reopened old wounds and pitted former team-mates against each other.

Khawaja's book, published this week, says the entire Australia team knew about the scheme and should have taken responsibility. He also alleges Australia were urged to find ways to get the ball to swing by a coach and that Bancroft was later encouraged to cheat. The original 2018 scandal saw Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft punished for tampering with the ball using sandpaper in Australia's Test against South Africa in Cape Town in 2018. Khawaja has been supported by Warner and Chadd Sayers, a seam bowler who was part of the Australia squad on the 2018 tour of South Africa.

Several former teammates and staff have publicly rejected Khawaja's accusations. Darren Lehmann — who was then the head coach — is among them. The former England batter Graeme Hick, who was one of his assistants, and Mitchell Starc have also rejected the claims.

Several Australian newspapers published strong reactions, with The Australian running the line "Captain Pat throws the book at Khawaja" and including a Cummins quote: "Uzzie's been casual with my life and the lives of others, and I think Australian cricket"

The Sydney Morning Herald described Cummins as "defiant" in rejecting Khawaja's claims and its chief sports writer wrote that "the firestorm in Australian cricket is burning out of control". Melbourne's Age focused on Warner's response, reporting Warner's comment that Cummins "threw Uzzie under the bus". The West Australian said Cummins had "thrown the book" at his former teammate by dismissing his claims as "complete and utter nonsense".

Brisbane's Courier Mail used the phrase "gloves are off" and said Australian cricket's "brawl of the century" has "erupted". At Friday's news conference Cummins called Khawaja's claims "100% wrong" and "nonsense". The fallout from Khawaja's autobiography has caused divides across Australian sport.

Those articles appeared in Saturday editions of Australian newspapers. They were published as reactions to Cummins' extraordinary news conference.