Pat Cummins addresses Usman Khawaja’s 'sandpapergate' claims at press conference

Pat Cummins, the Australian cricket captain, spoke at a press conference on 12 November 2026 about allegations in Usman Khawaja’s book concerning the 2018 ball-tampering incident.

Cummins pointed to the Cricket Australia investigation that followed the incident, saying, "There's a very proper way to do things and improve. I think that investigation was a proper way to do it."

He added, "Everyone was asked in the circumstances about a game very quickly after. So that's for CA. I think you can maybe argue whether the judgements were fair, but what can you do? I got asked all the questions, answered them all fairly." Cummins also said, "That's my story, so I think he's wrong," and remarked, "The details really matter in that difference. So perhaps there was conversations with Cameron Bancroft around taking sandpaper out and how to do it. That doesn't mean that everyone in that dressing room knew what was going on."