The claims have reopened the Cape Town scandal of 2018. Khawaja has put a spotlight on Cummins and fellow bowlers Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon, Australia's attack in that Test and still the side's first-choice bowlers eight years later.
Speaking at an indoor cricket centre in Sydney, Cummins said Khawaja was"100% wrong"to claim the entire side knew sandpaper was taken onto the field in Cape Town. He said he"did not know that was happening"and"did not see anything on the ball"at the time. He has said for eight years that he did not know sandpaper was being used, Reuters reported.
Khawaja's memoir, released on Tuesday, says the Australia team, which included Cummins, knew about the scheme and should have taken responsibility. The former batter has called for"all"of the team to share that responsibility.
"He says that I and others were architects of a scheme to ball tamper with sandpaper,"Cummins said."That's complete and utter nonsense."He said there was"no masterplan around using illegal methods".
"Usman is a friend, but friends aren't casual with each other's lives and reputations,"Cummins said."In his book he's been casual with my life and the lives of many others and, I think, Australian cricket.".
Cummins said he had been"grappling"in recent days over whether their relationship was irrevocably harmed. He said he had exchanged brief texts with Khawaja since the book came out, but he did not describe what they wrote.
At the time of the scandal Cummins was 24 and playing his 13th Test. He has since played 77 Tests and has been captain since 2021. He and Khawaja played 56 Tests together before Khawaja retired from international cricket in January.
Khawaja wrote that he asked the whole team to take responsibility for the Cape Town controversy and that two unnamed players rejected the request. Cummins said he does not recall any such suggestion, or that it was turned down.
Asked about ball-tampering in that era, Cummins said he noticed things then that he now realises could have been cheating. He said training balls were sometimes scuffed with sandpaper or a Stanley knife when bowlers wanted to practise in a certain way, or batters wanted to face a ball in a particular condition.
Asked whether he was considering legal action over claims in the book, Cummins said he had been advised this week that some of the allegations were"probably defamatory". He added:"I won't be doing that.".