‘Grown up’: Cummins act lays bare new Aussie reality... as ghosts of Sandpapergate buried
Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins and his team are demonstrating a new level of maturity and sportsmanship during their tour of South Africa. The article highlights a shift in team culture, moving past the historical tensions of the 2018 'Sandpapergate' scandal.
Why it matters
It reflects the evolution of professional sports culture and the ability of teams to move past high-profile controversies through improved leadership and conduct.
CRICKET ‘Grown up’: Cummins act lays bare new Aussie reality... as ghosts of Sandpapergate buried Boland strikes twice before rain hits | 02:31 Courtney Walsh from Fox Sports October 20th, 2026 12:51 pm Shortly before the rain arrived in Gqeberha on Sunday, Australian captain Pat Cummins was scratching around on St George’s Park, figuring out how he would make his mark.
Then he spotted a solution. The blokes nearby had what he needed. So the Aussie skipper wandered across to the Proteas camp and asked, politely, if he could borrow their tape for a moment.
The Aussies have been at pains to point out that what happened eight years ago on the scandalous tour of South Africa is a long way in the past and that the times have changed.
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