Claims extracted
21
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
24%
5 of 21 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
64/100
Toronto Star's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
18
Sports
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
SYDNEY (AP) — Australia captain Pat Cummins has described as “utter nonsense” claims from ex-teammate Usman Khawaja that he knew about using sandpaper to tamper with a ball in a 2018 cheating scandal that rocked cricket.
Cummins held an extraordinary news conference Friday to address allegations made in Usman Khawaja’s autobiography, published this week, hours ahead Australia’s home-season opening one-day international against England in Perth.
Khawaja has said he published his account that the whole team knew of the plot in a bid to support the three players who received unprecedented and lengthy bans from the sport arising from the so-called Sandpapergate scandal.
uncertain
who → describe → scandal
He’s had support from one them — his longtime friend and fellow top-order batter David Warner, who posted on social media that the Cricket Australia investigation at the time was rushed and botched.
asserted
investigation → have → time
Cummins, who was part of bowling attack in that test at Cape Town against South Africa, rejected it and accused Khawaja of being “casual” and “flippant” with his claims.
uncertain
who → reject → claims
“When he says we all knew, if by that he means that we knew sandpaper was going out in the field, he’s 100% wrong,” Cummins told a packed news conference in Sydney.
asserted
Cummins → say → Sydney
“I’ve said that consistently for the last eight years.
asserted
I → say → years
I did not know that was happening.
asserted
that → know → ?
“But I think Usman actually says things that are actually far more serious than that.
asserted
that → think → that
He says that I and others were architects of a scheme to ball tamper with sandpaper.
asserted
I → say → sandpaper
“That’s complete and utter nonsense.”
asserted
That → ’ → ?
Cummins said he was prepared to answer questions all day if required, because he didn’t want the topic to be dredged up again every time a book was published or another claim made.
uncertain
claim → say → questions
After an hour, a cricket administrator suggested the news conference wind down, but Cummins again invited all questions to continue for as long as needed.
uncertain
Cummins → suggest → questions
Steve Smith and Warner — the captain and vice-captain in that series eight years ago — were each banned for 12 months by Cricket Australia following an investigation into the cheating plot.
asserted
Smith → ban → plot
Cameron Bancroft, who was caught on TV footage using sandpaper on the ball during the test match, was banned for nine months.
asserted
who → catch → months
Cricket Australia, team management and other players have rarely commented on the saga.
asserted
Australia → comment → saga
The bowling group has rejected claims that everyone was in on the plot to use sandpaper to help make the ball “reverse” — or swing unconventionally through the air.
uncertain
ball → reject → air
But in his autobiography, Khawaja said he was sitting beside Bancroft in the locker rooms at one stage and learned of a plot to tamper with the ball and urged caution.
asserted
he → say → caution
Cummins on Friday turned the scenario back on Khawaja, who retired from the test team earlier this year.
asserted
who → turn → team
“I was genuinely shocked this week when I found out that Usman admitted that he told Cam to be careful when using sandpaper,” he said.
asserted
he → find → sandpaper
“That’s not the Usman that I know.
asserted
I → ’ → that
It’s not the Usman that I think has been part of a team that’s helped rebuild the Australian cricket culture over the last eight years,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → years
“And the one that would have stopped that from happening there and then.”
asserted
that → stop → that
The Aporia
