Cricket Australia boss Boon backs Cummins' leadership amid 'Sandpapergate' row

MELBOURNE, Nov 12 : Cricket Australia chairman David Boon has backed test captain Pat Cummins and said his job is not under threat over the allegations in Usman Khawaja's book about his role in the 2018 ball-tampering affair.

Former test batter Khawaja’s assertions that he and all of his teammates on the tour of South Africa had prior knowledge of a plan to manipulate the ball has reopened old wounds and triggered calls for another investigation.

The saga has heaped fresh scrutiny on Cummins as the current leader of the test team, with pundits calling on him to respond to the allegations.

Boon said Cricket Australia (CA) had full confidence in Cummins' leadership as a player of integrity.

“We absolutely support Pat,” Boon said in comments published by The Australian on Thursday.

“He’s been an exemplary captain, he’s led the team with integrity and, you know, very successfully over the period of time that he’s been captain, so there’s no question of our confidence in him continuing on in that fact.”

Cummins has yet to respond to Khawaja's allegations but posted on X that he would be happy to speak to media on Friday.

"I've taken some time to try and better understand the long list and full extent of Uzzy's allegations so I can respond properly," he wrote.

NO JUDGEMENT

White-ball captain Mitchell Marsh, who was in the test team in 2018, declined to comment at a press conference in Perth on Thursday, saying it was not time for him to share his story.

But he acknowledged that there was still a lot of people "hurting" over the scandal.

"I respect (Khawaja) for telling his story and for writing his book, and I don't sit here coming from a place of judgment on any of that," Marsh said ahead of a one-day international against England.

"Ever