Warner Backs Khawaja Over Cummins Sandpaper Denial

David Warner backs Khawaja after captain Pat Cummins dismissed Khawaja’s claims about the 2018 ball-tampering scandal as “complete and utter nonsense”.

Warner criticised Cummins’ 69-minute media appearance on Friday, accusing the Australian captain of throwing Khawaja “under the bus” with his response. He spoke to Fox Sports on the sidelines of the first one-day international between Australia and England in Perth.

“I still stick by Uzzy and what he’s written in that book, because it is the truth, and I really, really support him,” Warner said.

“I actually feel for him at the moment. I actually feel that today, the captain threw Uzzy under the bus, and I’m very, very disappointed about that.”

The claims at the centre of the row

Khawaja wrote in his autobiography that the whole Australian team knew sandpaper was being used to alter the condition of the ball during the third Test against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town in 2018. Cummins rejected that account in full on Friday, calling the claims “complete and utter nonsense” in a long press conference.

Warner was one of three Australian players sanctioned after Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper on the ball during that Test. He, Steve Smith and Bancroft all faced long bans, and Warner has rarely spoken about the episode in the eight years since.

Following Cummins’ remarks, Warner reminded everyone of the consequences the three players faced. “All three of us have paid a big price in this thing. I hadn’t spoken about it in eight years, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to live with these consequences daily,” he said.

“We’ve been served a life punishment. When other people talk about [how] they’ve been affected by it, there’s nothing worse for me, Steve and Cam, who have to walk out there every day and we cop abuse.”

He added: “Yes, we accepted it, but at the end of the day, my wife and I paid the greatest price. We lost a baby during that time. That’s why it really hurts me the most until the truth is accepted.”

Warner backs Khawaja as players split over the book

Warner’s intervention has split Australia’s current and former players into two camps. Khawaja has Warner’s public backing, while the current players have held their line.

Mitchell Starc, Cummins and Mitchell Marsh have all maintained their positions on the matter. Starc and Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg had already pushed back on the claims earlier in the week, and Cummins’ press conference was the fullest response yet from inside the team.

Smith and Bancroft, the other two players sanctioned in 2018, have yet to share their views publicly on the latest developments. Their silence leaves the row unresolved, with the three men who were punished holding different positions in public, or none at all.

The dispute matters because it goes to the heart of Australian cricket’s most painful episode. The 2018 scandal led to bans, resignations and a review of the team’s culture. Khawaja’s book has reopened the question of who knew what, and Warner’s words show that, eight years on, the three sanctioned players still carry the episode with them.

Whether Smith or Bancroft speak next will decide how long the row runs. For now, Warner has made his position clear: he stands by Khawaja, and he believes the captain’s response did his team-mate a disservice.

Frequently asked questions

What did David Warner say about Pat Cummins?

Warner said Cummins “threw Uzzy under the bus” by dismissing Khawaja’s sandpaper claims, and said he was “very, very disappointed” with the captain’s response.

What did Khawaja claim in his book?

He wrote that the whole Australian team knew sandpaper was being used to alter the ball during the third Test against South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town, in 2018.

What did Cummins say?

Cummins called Khawaja’s claims “complete and utter nonsense” in a 69-minute media appearance on Friday.

Who was sanctioned in 2018?

David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft were sanctioned after Bancroft was caught using sandpaper on the ball during the Cape Town Test.

Have Smith and Bancroft commented?

No. Both are yet to share their views publicly on the latest developments, while Starc, Cummins and Mitchell Marsh have maintained their positions.