Sandpapergate is ugly: David Warner says Cummins threw Khawaja under the bus

Former Australian opener David Warner has hit back at Pat Cummins after the Australian captain dismissed Usman Khawaja’s revelations about the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, accusing him of throwing his former teammate under the bus. Warner said he stood by Khawaja’s account of the infamous Sandpapergate episode and was disappointed by Cummins’ public response.

Speaking to Fox Cricket ahead of Australia’s first ODI against England, Warner said that Khawaja had told the truth in his autobiography, Sabrand deserved support rather than criticism.

“I still stand by Uzzy and what he wrote in that book because it’s true and I really, really support him,” Warner said.

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

This was followed by Warner’s comments Cummins addressed the dispute at an hour-long press conferencestrongly rejected Khawaja’s claims about the extent of the Australian team’s knowledge of the ball-tampering episode during the 2018 Cape Town Test against South Africa.

“If he means we knew the sandpaper was in the field, he’s 100 percent wrong. I’ve said that consistently for the last eight years. I didn’t know it was happening,” Cummins said.

The Australian captain also took issue with Khawaja’s suggestion that he and other team members were the architects of the plan to change the condition of the ball.

“This is complete and utter nonsense,” Cummins said, adding that he was disappointed with Khawaja’s handling of the revelations.

Cummins said the book was incidental to his life and the reputations of others and questioned why Khawaja did not intervene when he allegedly knew sandpaper was being used. He also said the revelations reopened a painful chapter for those involved.

LIFE SENTENCE

However, Warner believes the fallout from the scandal continues to haunt the three players who have been disciplined by Cricket Australia. Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft were suspended for varying lengths of time following the incident, with Warner and Smith receiving 12-month bans and Bancroft receiving a nine-month ban.

“All three of us paid a big price in this case. I didn’t talk about it for eight years, but at the end of the day we have to live with these consequences every day. We got a life sentence,” Warner said.

The former opener said the focus on the three players overlooked the emotional and personal cost they had to endure since the scandal.

“When other people talk about how it’s affected them, there’s nothing worse for me, Steve and Cam, who have to go out there every day and we abuse the police.

“Yes, we accepted it, but in the end my wife and I paid the biggest price. During that time we lost a child. That’s why it really hurts me the most until the truth is accepted,” he added.

WHAT KHAWAJA REVEALED IN SABR

The dispute then resurfaced Khawaja revisited the 2018 scandal in his book Sabr, questioning whether Warner, Smith and Bancroft were made to bear the blame for an episode in which the wider team knew what was going on.

Khawaja recounted the events during the Cape Town Test where Bancroft was caught on television cameras attempting to use a piece of sandpaper on the ball. The incident led to an investigation by Cricket Australia and severe sanctions against the three players.

In his report, Khawaja described being aware of the use of sandpaper and recalled Bancroft’s warning to be careful. He also wrote about one member of the coaching staff telling Bancroft that the team needed more of what he was doing because the conditions made it difficult to generate a reverse swing.

Khawaja further claimed that after the incident, he argued that the team should collectively accept responsibility. He said he raised the issue with team leadership and again at a subsequent team meeting, but the proposal did not find universal support.

Warner has previously questioned the investigation, claiming it was rushed and incomplete. He pointed out that Khawaja, who was in the dressing room during the incident, was not questioned as part of the process.

The fresh disagreements have raised questions about the original investigation and whether the full extent of the locker room’s knowledge was ever discovered.

– The end