By Ian Chadband and Steve Larkin in Sydney

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 says he’ll front the media on Friday morning at Cricket NSW’s headquarters in Sydney. “Happy to speak with any and all media about the events of this week,” Cummins posted on Instagram on Thursday.

“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.”

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 wrote the entire team was aware of the plot to use sandpaper on the ball in the infamous 2018 Test against South Africa in Cape Town.

The retired batsman 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.

But the fall-out from Khawaja’s claims shows no sign of abating, with Australia’s former assistant coach Graeme Hick insisting they were “absolutely false”.

The strong denial of Hick, Australia’s batting coach on the 2018 South African tour, also dragged David Warner back to social media as he launched further barbs at Cricket Australia.

In his book Sabr: Finding My Way in Cricket and Life, former Test batting luminary Khawaja’s revelations about the infamous 2018 tour have received both strong support and vehement denials.

The latest rebuttal of his claims came from former Zimbabwe-born England batting star Hick, who joined Starc and former head coach Darren Lehmann in rejecting Khawaja’s allegations.

Hick, who worked with the Australian team from 2016 to 2020, told Nine newspapers: “I have seen the various statements around the coaches and I’m very disappointed with the broad nature of them.

“Khawaja puts it simply: ‘It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us’.

“To me, what Khawaja is implying here is absolutely false. In regard to any discussions around the ball tampering in Port Elizabeth or Cape Town, I will say in true honesty that I did not hear or know anything.

“My first knowledge of all this was, like many, when it appeared on the big screen in Cape Town as I was sat on the outside balcony at the time.”

Khawaja’s fellow opener and great mate Warner took the blame for the 2018 scandal along with captain Steve Smith and batsman Cameron Bancroft.

Warner has backed Khawaja’s version of events, saying: “It’s 100 per cent accurate what you’ve said. Now everyone knows the truth.”

After reading Hick’s comments, Warner returned to social media with another post that implied the Englishman was hardly at the heart of the team as CA’s appointment after the popular Michael Di Venuto resigned.

“Let’s get the facts straight,” wrote Warner. “Graeme Hick was only appointed because Cricket Australia was unwilling to pay Michael Di Venuto what he deserved.  “As players, we valued Michael so highly that we even offered to contribute from our own salaries to retain him.

“These discussions were taking place during the New Zealand tour. That alone speaks volumes about how highly we regarded him and how determined we were to keep him involved. Adds to why Graeme has spoken!!”