Eight Years Later, the Ghost of Cape Town Still Won't Leave Australian Cricket Alone
Now, Cummins is stepping up to the mic. Posting on X on Thursday, the Australian captain invited "any and all media" to his Friday morning training session at Cricket Central. His words carried a subtle edge. Cummins noted he took time to understand the "long list and full extent of Uzzy’s allegations" so he could respond properly.
XtraTime Webdesk: Just when Australian cricket thought it had buried the 2018 ball-tampering scandal for good, Usman Khawaja walked in to bring it up all over again.
In his new book, Sabr, the retired opener dropped a bombshell: the infamous sandpaper plot wasn't just a secret between Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft. According to Khawaja, the whole team knew. Batters, bowlers, and staff alike.
For days, the silence from Test skipper Pat Cummins was loud. In 2021, Cummins and fellow bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon flatly denied knowing about the plan. As critics like Michael Clarke questioned Cummins' silence, Khawaja dodged TV questions about his captain and abruptly cancelled his remaining press interviews.
Now, Cummins is stepping up to the mic. Posting on X on Thursday, the Australian captain invited "any and all media" to his Friday morning training session at Cricket Central. His words carried a subtle edge. Cummins noted he took time to understand the "long list and full extent of Uzzy’s allegations" so he could respond properly.
Right now, old teammates are openly divided. Warner called Khawaja's claims "100 per cent accurate," while Starc and former coach Graeme Hick rejected them. Cricket Australia has backed Cummins and ruled out a new probe. Still, when Cummins faces the cameras on Friday morning, the whole cricket world will be watching to see how he puts this fire out.
