Pat Cummins has rejected Usman Khawaja’s suggestion that he was overlooked for the Australia captaincy because of his skin colour, insisting that race was not a factor in the decision. Khawaja reignited debate surrounding Australian cricket with the release of his autobiography this week, revisiting the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. The former Australian opener also revealed his disappointment at being overlooked for the interim captaincy after Steve Smith was sent home following the Cape Town controversy.

Khawaja, who was Queensland captain at the time, believed he was a natural choice for the position. However, Cricket Australia handed the responsibility to Tim Paine, who was eventually succeeded by Cummins in 2021. “I was a natural selection for interim captain, but was overlooked,” Khawaja wrote.

He suggested that his involvement in earlier pay disputes with Cricket Australia may have influenced the decision. However, he believed his Pakistani heritage was an even bigger reason behind the snub.

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“The second – and, I believe, more important – reason was that they weren’t ready for a brown Australian cricket captain, even as an interim,” he added.

Responding to the allegations, Cummins strongly disagreed with Khawaja’s assessment. Speaking at a press conference addressing the renewed ball-tampering controversy, the current Australia captain said such a serious claim required supporting evidence. “I think of the things I’ve read, that’s the most serious,” Cummins said.

“To think that the job I hold is quarantined from people based on their skin colour, it’s a pretty big statement. If you are going to say that, I think you have to have evidence. And I just don’t think that’s the case.”

Cummins acknowledged that he agreed with Khawaja on several issues but rejected the suggestion that an Australian captain had to belong to a particular racial background. Khawaja, Australia’s first Pakistan-born Test cricketer, has previously spoken openly about experiencing racism from a young age.

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Despite his experiences, the retired batter has generally been reluctant to claim credit for creating opportunities for others. When asked whether he had witnessed any racist conduct since becoming Australia captain, Cummins declined to elaborate. “I’d rather not go into that. I think that’s maybe a story for Uzzie. But nothing since I’ve been captain that I can think of,” he said.