Warner backs Khawaja and accuses Cummins of throwing him under bus
David Warner defended Usman Khawaja's Sandpapergate account after Pat Cummins dismissed it as utter nonsense.
David Warner has criticised Australia captain Pat Cummins for rejecting Usman Khawaja's claims about the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, saying the captain threw his former teammate under the bus.
Key takeaways
- David Warner backed Usman Khawaja's account of Sandpapergate.
- Pat Cummins called Khawaja's claims utter nonsense at a Sydney press conference.
- Warner said he was disappointed and felt Cummins threw Khawaja under the bus.
- Warner spoke on Fox Cricket ahead of Australia's first ODI against England.
- Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft were also banned by Cricket Australia in 2018.
" Speaking on Fox Cricket ahead of Australia's first ODI against England, Warner said he stood firmly by Khawaja's account in his autobiography Sabr and called Cummins's public response disappointing.
The comments came on Friday, November 13, 2026, and follow Cummins's press conference in Sydney, where he rejected Khawaja's assertion that the entire Australian team knew about the ball-tampering plot and accused him of being casual and flippant about the lives affected by the controversy.
" He added that he actually felt for Khawaja and believed the captain had thrown him under the bus, leaving him very disappointed.
Warner said he had not spoken about the episode in eight years but still had to live with its consequences daily, noting that all three sanctioned players faced ongoing abuse.
He said he and his wife paid the greatest price because they lost a baby during that time, which is why it hurt him most until the truth was accepted.
Apart from Warner, then skipper Steve Smith and batter Cameron Bancroft were handed bans of varying lengths by Cricket Australia eight years ago. Sandpapergate refers to the ball-tampering scandal during Australia's Test series against South Africa in 2018.
Khawaja revived the controversy in his memoir, claiming the whole team knew about the plot. Cummins rejected those claims at the Sydney press conference. Warner's defence of Khawaja reopens the dispute years after Cricket Australia imposed sanctions on Smith, Bancroft, and Warner himself.
Former Australia coach Justin Langer, who took over after the scandal, said Cummins did what he had to do and that strong leaders stand up.
Langer told SEN that Mitch Marsh also stood up and hoped the press conference would put a line in the sand so everyone could move on, adding that too many people were being hurt in Australian cricket, including the public, and that time would tell whether the response helped or hindered that process.
Australia is scheduled to play its first ODI against England, with Warner speaking on Fox Cricket ahead of that match. The sources reported no further disciplinary decision or response from Cummins.
Players sanctioned by Cricket Australia after the 2018 ball-tampering scandal
Player | Role at the time | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
Steve Smith | Skipper | Ban |
Cameron Bancroft | Batter | Ban |
David Warner | Former opener | Ban |
Related on Apex Sports News
Mitchell Starc responds to Usman Khawaja's Sandpapergate claims
Cricket Australia rejects new Sandpapergate probe after Khawaja book
Sources
Topics
Spotted an error? Read our corrections policy or use the flag button above. Our editorial standards explain how we report.
Discussion
Sign in or create a free account to join the discussion. Please follow our community guidelines.