Watch the press conference in full
Chappell: ‘We have to believe it’
Australian cricket great Greg Chappell believes Pat Cummins’ reaffirmation that he and others in the side had no idea sandpaper would be brought onto the field in South Africa eight years ago needed to be trusted.
“We have to believe it, and Pat’s a very honourable man and very talented on the field, but I think he’s very talented off the field as well. He handles himself very well,” said the former captain, who served as a national selector across several stints until 2019.
“I have great respect for Pat. I think he’s a wonderful human being and doing a terrific job as captain of the Australian team.
“Everyone is going to have their opinions and perspectives from their own perspectives, and I respect that. I respect Uzzie’s certainly got his feelings, Patty was obviously very strong today with his feelings, so there are going to be all sorts of comments that will go backwards and forwards.”
Chappell, who has also long had a strong relationship with David Warner, confirmed he had not spoken yet to the former opener – who served a one-year suspension for his role in the sandpaper saga – but believed he was “a pretty resilient character, and I expect him to be able to handle most things that are thrown at him”.
Aussies send England in to bat
Australia’s Mitch Marsh has won the toss and sent England in to bat.
Why? Conditions won’t change and Marsh says Australia like to chase. Mahli Beardman – the 21-year-old right-arm quick – will debut for Australia.
Here are the two sides.
Australia XI: Mitch Marsh (c), Travis Head, Cooper Connolly, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Renshaw, Cameron Green, Jack Edwards, Xavier Bartlett, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson, Mahli Beardman
England XI: Ben Duckett, Tom Banton, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jordan Cox (wk), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer
Warner cranks this up, but Cummins winning PR battle
Warner: Cummins ‘threw Uzzie under the bus’, a ‘life punishment’
David Warner has hit back at Pat Cummins and gone whack. He isn’t shying away. When hasn’t he?
Here’s what he said on Fox Cricket:
“Pat Cummins was very well prepared this morning and I still stick by what Uzzie [Usman Khawaja] said, what he’s written in that book, that is the truth, and I really, really support him, I’m actually feeling for him at the moment.
“I actually feel that the captain today actually threw Uzzie under the bus, and I’m very, very disappointed about that.”
Asked by Adam Gilchrist about the effect on families, Warner said that he, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft had also suffered.
How will players deal with Khawaja, Warner commentary over summer?
Current Australian players will “do what we need to do” dealing with broadcasters and commentators who now include former teammates Usman Khawaja and David Warner, Pat Cummins says.
“We’re all quite professional, so we’ll do what we need to do,” he said this morning.
“It’s never been an issue before whenever there’s some small grievances.”
Warner is set to be part of the commentary team on Kayo Sports when the One Day International series against England begins in Perth this afternoon. Coverage begins at 1.30pm and the first ball is scheduled for 2.30pm.
One of three players suspended over the Sandpapergate scandal in 2018, Warner has backed Khawaja’s claims this week. The pair are long-time friends and were so even before they opened the batting together.
Khawaja is also slated to appear in Kayo’s cricket coverage over the summer.
Cummins backing ‘really exciting prospect’ ahead of home town debut
Towards the end of an hour-plus long press conference that Cummins hopes will “put a line through” Sandpapergate’s resurgence, he found a chance to comment on “more fun topics like actual cricket”.
Fast bowler Mahli Beardman is set to play in his first international match on Australian soil in his home town of Perth when Australia take on England in a One Day International beginning this afternoon.
Cummins said Beardman, 21, was a “really exciting prospect”.
“He’s fast … really skillful, he’s fit, got a lot of great attributes.”
‘I’ve got to bowl at some stage’: Cummins hits the nets
After taking questions for more than an hour, Cummins has hit the nets.
“I don’t want to talk about this again after today, so even if it takes all day – I’ve got to bowl at some stage – but I’ll answer all of them,” Cummins said as he began the press conference this morning.
About an hour later, Cummins declined to embrace a chance to step away from the microphones.
“Sorry, we’ve reached the one hour mark, I think that’s drinks … just a few more please, Pat has to go and have a bowl,” reporters at the press conference were told.
Cummins details ball tampering before South Africa tour
Pat Cummins says he saw one instance of ball tampering before the 2018 South Africa tour, during a domestic Sheffield Shield game, involving a senior batter he wouldn’t name.
“He took a bottle cap out in the field,” Cummins said this morning.
“That was the one time I’ve seen [something like this] on the field.
“It was dealt with; the umpires knew it as well, they called him out and said, ‘You’ve got to stop that right now.’
“That’s the only time I’ve seen something illegal out there.”
But he’s heard of other ways one can tamper with the ball.
When asked, he listed superglue, grown-out fingernails hardened with polish to scuff and scratch, Murray Mints and, of course, sandpaper.
Analysis: That was one of Cummins’ finest hours
I’ve covered a lot of press conferences in my time, but that was one of the most extraordinary I have seen. Definitely on the podium. We reported before the press conference that Cummins would come out strong, but we didn’t think it would be that. This was one of his finest hours and leadership personified, no matter what you think about what he said.
He completely rejects Khawaja’s assertion that he and other bowlers knew about the sandpaper being taken onto the field or near the boundary, as alleged by Khawaja.
Cummins appeared cool under pressure and it was a masterstroke to allow journalists to ask questions for as long as they liked – all 68 minutes. He was detailed with his responses and had clearly thought a lot about some, but he was clearly annoyed at being implicated in all of this.
Watch the press conference in full
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