Australia captain Pat Cummins has categorically rejected Usman Khawaja's claim that the entire team was aware of the sandpaper ball-tampering incident during the 2018 Cape Town Test, calling the allegation "100 percent wrong" and "utter nonsense."

Cummins appeared before the media at the Cricket Central in Sydney to respond to allegations raised in Khawaja's autobiography "Sabr." The fast bowler firmly dismissed Khawaja's claims during a 68-minute question-and-answer session.

"When he says we all knew, if by that he means that we knew sandpaper was going out in the field, he's 100% wrong. I've said that consistently for the last eight years," Cummins told a press conference in Sydney.

Allegations in Khawaja's book

In his autobiography "Sabr," Usman Khawaja claimed that everyone in the Australia team was aware of the ball-tampering incident during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town in 2018. Following Khawaja's statements in the book, calls for a fresh investigation have emerged.

Cricket Australia's position

However, Cricket Australia (CA) has stated that it sees no reason for a new investigation. In the 2018 incident, Cricket Australia banned then-captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner for one year each for damaging the image of cricket. Opener Cameron Bancroft, who carried sandpaper onto the field to roughen the ball's surface, was banned for nine months. All three accepted their punishments.

Renewed controversy after eight years

The sandpaper ball-tampering incident remains a source of discomfort for Australian cricket even eight years later. The long-running debate over the 2018 Newlands incident has been reignited by Usman Khawaja's autobiography "Sabr." Cummins' press conference has further intensified the controversy.