Cummins to 'respond properly' to Khawaja claims tomorrow

Australia Test captain Pat Cummins is set to break his public silence on the sandpaper scandal after taking time to "better understand" the allegations of ex-teammate Usman Khawaja.

Test captain Cummins announced on social media that he would speak to reporters tomorrow morning at Cricket NSW's headquarters in Sydney.

"Happy to speak with any and all media about the events of this week," Cummins posted today.

"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."

Cricket Australia is yet to confirm an official time but Cummins said he would speak at 9:30am AEDT between a training session and the start of day three of NSW's Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia.

Many in Australian cricket circles have been demanding Cummins publicly respond to Khawaja's explosive claims in his book about ball tampering in Australia's Test team.

Khawaja told Nine Newspapers of the plot to use sandpaper on the ball in the infamous 2018 Test against South Africa in Cape Town: "It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us."

The retired batter also wrote of Australia's ball tampering in the preceding Ashes Test series against England.

Cummins and fellow fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, and spinner Nathan Lyon, have previously denied knowledge of Australia taking sandpaper onto the Cape Town ground. Starc reiterated that stance on Tuesday.

AAP

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