Cummins relaxed over upcoming Khawaja book revelations

Australia cricket captain Pat Cummins has revealed he has spoken with Usman Khawaja regarding his former teammate's upcoming autobiography, stating he holds no concerns over potential revelations related to past controversies.

On Friday, Australia will commence their first Test series in South Africa since the ball-tampering scandal erupted in Cape Town back in 2018, an incident that resulted in suspensions for then-captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner, and batter Cameron Bancroft.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

At the time of the controversy, Smith explained the plot was devised by the team's leadership group on the third day of the third Test, while Bancroft was caught rubbing sandpaper on the ball. While the batters faced severe punishments, questions persisted regarding how bowlers Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon claimed they remained unaware of the ball's altered condition.

"It was dealt with then and all I can say is that as a group, we have moved on and we are very happy with the last eight to nine years how we have been as a group and evolved."

Pat Cummins

In 2021, the four bowlers released a joint statement reiterating that they had no prior knowledge of foreign substances being brought onto the field until witnessing the images on the big screen at Newlands, urging an end to ongoing rumors and innuendo.