Pat Cummins announces he will address Usman Khawaja’s Sandpaper allegations on Friday

Pat Cummins is ready to speak about Usman Khawaja’s sandpaper claims.

Khawaja’s controversial book claiming the Australian Test side’s ball tampering extended beyond the ill-fated South African series has tipped a bucket on the sport ahead of the men’s summer.

Cricket Australia has since confirmed they will not reopen an investigation while interim chairman David Boon has also backed in Cummins to remain captain.

Cummins will now take the opportunity to speak on Friday morning ahead of Day 3 in NSW’s Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia in Sydney.

“I’m training at Cricket Central tomorrow morning before the Blues play in the Shield match,” Cummins wrote on Thursday morning.

“Happy to speak with any and all media about the events of this week at 9.30am.

“I’ve taken some time to try and better understand the long list and full extent of Uzzy’s allegations so I can respond properly.

“Afterwards please stay and support the Blues!”

Khawaja denied claims he was on a “witch hunt” in an uneasy grilling by the ABC’s 7.30 report on Tuesday.

He subsequently pulled out of radio and television spots on Wednesday, with his publisher Penguin saying adjustments had been made to his promotional tour.

Cummins’ update arrived after Boon praised the “exemplary captain”.

“He’s led the team with integrity and very successfully over the period of time that he’s been captain, so there’s no question of our confidence in him continuing on in that fact,” he said.

Cummins was playing just his 10th Test match at Cape Town 2018 and became captain in 2021.

Mitchell Starc was the first of the Australia’s legendary bowling quartet — also featuring Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon — to front the media in the wake of Khawaja’s claims, declaring on Tuesday he had no knowledge of the sandpaper plot.

He said it would be up to Khawaja whether they speak again.

Australia’s four bowlers had released a statement in 2021 declaring they did not know about the ball-tampering plans, a point Starc reiterated.

David Warner publicly backed his former opening partner Khawaja’s statements.

Australian Cricketers Association chief executive Paul Marsh said it was understandable players’ versions of events could differ.

But Marsh’s comment attracted the ire of former Test batsman Damien Martyn, who posted on X: “This statement from our players union does not reflect all ex-players’ opinions.”

And Simon Longstaff, the author of a review into Australia’s cricket culture leading to the 2018 South African series, said he may have been lied to by players.

“All I can say is that if what Khawaja alleges turns out to be true, then I was also lied to,” Longstaff wrote in the Australian Financial Review.

Warner also fired an indirect jab at Darren Lehmann, suggesting the ex-Australian coach knew of the use of sandpaper in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.

He agreed with former International Cricket Council match referee Chris Broad that Lehmann must have known of Australia’s use of sandpaper on the ball — and if not, he shouldn’t have been coach.

“Darren Lehman surely knew all about it,” Broad told Track Radio.

“And if he didn’t, he shouldn’t have been the coach at the time.”

Warner replied to Track Radio’s social media post of Broad’s comments, writing on X: “I couldn’t agree more and that’s hard for me to say!”

Lehmann, who stepped down as Australia’s coach in the aftermath of the 2018 scandal in South Africa, has denied personal knowledge of the Test team using sandpaper on the ball.

— with AAP