Live Updates: Australian Cricket civil war threatens to erupt as Pat Cummins responds to sandpaper claims
Australia take on England in the opening One Day International in Perth, but all eyes are off the field as a civil war threatens to split Australian Cricket. Follow all the action live
Australia take on England in the opening One Day International in Perth, but all eyes are off the field as a civil war threatens to split Australian Cricket.
Pat Cummins held a marathon press conference denying Usman Khawaja’s fresh sandpaper allegations, saying they are “100 per cent wrong.”
However, David Warner says the Australian captain has thrown the former opener “under the bus” as the ghosts of 2018 continue to haunt Australia.
Can the return of on-field action cool the narrative? Follow all the action live.
Jake Santa Maria is reporting live.
Warner accuses Cummins of throwing Warner ‘under the bus’
Having come out strongly in defence of Khawaja earlier in the week calling his revelations “100 per cent right” it’s no surprise he took a dim view of Cummins response.
“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.
Cummins breaks his silence
All eyes of the country were at Cricket New South Wales where Pat Cummins spoke for more than an hour as he responded to Usman Khawaja’s allegations the entire team knew about the plot to use sandpaper on the ball.
Cummins could not have been unequivocal in his denial .
“Usman and I are friends, but friends aren’t casual with each other’s lives or reputations. In his book, Uzzy has been casual with my life and the lives of many others, and, I think, Australian cricket.
“I don’t know what’s taken Usman so long . . . there’s been some allegations this week that you have to respond to.
“I know Uz, he’s not naive. He knew this was going to be a hot topic. To have statements such as ‘we all knew’ — well, we all knew about what? For me, that’s very casual.”
Welcome
Hello and welcome to Optus Staidum where Australia’s first match of the summer is about to get underway as Australia take on England in the first ODI.
Australia have won the toss and elected to field, but all eyes are off it as a war of words continues to escalate over Usman Khawaja’s explosive Sandpapergate claims.
Whether the returm of on field action can distract from that remains to be seen.
