Warner says Cummins threw Khawaja "under the bus" over Sandpapergate denial

David Warner has accused Australian Test captain Pat Cummins of throwing Usman Khawaja "under the bus" after Cummins rejected Khawaja's claim that the whole team knew about the 2018 ball-tampering plot in South Africa, ABC News and The Hindu reported on Friday.

At a press conference in Sydney, Cummins called Khawaja's assertions "utter nonsense" and accused him of being "casual and flippant" about the lives of people affected by the scandal, according to The Hindu, which ran a PTI report.

Warner responded on Fox Cricket ahead of Australia's first one-day international against England. "I still stick by Uzzy and what he's written in that book, because it is the truth, and I really, really support him," he said. "I actually feel that today, the captain threw Uzzy under the bus, and I'm very, very disappointed about that."

Warner, then-captain Steve Smith and batter Cameron Bancroft were banned by Cricket Australia for varying periods after Bancroft was caught applying sandpaper to the ball during the third Test in Cape Town. Warner said the three of them had been "served a life punishment" and still copped abuse. He told Fox Cricket that he and his wife "lost a baby during that time".

Khawaja makes the claims in his autobiography Sabr, which The Guardian reported was released on Tuesday. He writes that his teammates should accept collective responsibility. The Guardian said the book also alleges that two players refused to do so and that a coach encouraged Bancroft to tamper with the ball. Cummins and current ODI captain Mitchell Marsh were in the side in Cape Town.

Warner first backed Khawaja on Monday in an Instagram video, his first public comments on the scandal since 2018. He called the account "100% accurate" and said Cricket Australia's investigation was "rushed and botched", adding that Khawaja, who was sitting next to Bancroft, was never interviewed, The Guardian reported. Cricket Australia said in a statement on Saturday that it remained "comfortable with the findings of our integrity process".

Former coach Justin Langer, who took over after the scandal, backed Cummins. "I think he (Cummins) did what he had to do. Strong leaders, they stand up," Langer told SEN, adding that Marsh had also "stood up yesterday". He said Australian cricket had to "draw a line in the sand somewhere" and that "time will tell" whether the press conference would help.

The Guardian reported that the first ODI against England, which opens Australia's international summer, is scheduled for Perth on Friday.

Sources: ABC News, David Warner slams Pat Cummins over Sandpapergate denial; The Hindu, Cummins threw Khawaja under the bus, and what Uzzy wrote is the truth: David Warner; The Guardian, ‘100% accurate’: Warner backs Khawaja over explosive ball-tampering claims.