Breaking his silence on former coach Justin Langer's claim that he was undermined by leaks, Australian Test captain Pat Cummins on Tuesday defended his side saying there are 'no cowards' in the dressing room.

The first Test between Australia and West Indies starting on Wednesday has been overshadowed by Langer's recent candid interview on the Back Chat podcast, where he attacked anonymous "cowards" who were not transparent about the feedback leading up to his messy exit earlier this year despite a successful Ashes campaign and the 2021 T20 World Cup victory.

Addressing the issue publicly for the first time, the Australian skipper strongly defended his dressing room and said it was 'disappointing' to see that so much focus was given on off-field issues instead of the actual cricket.

"There's no cowards in an Australian cricket team, not ever. I'd probably never disclose private conversations. I think it's disappointing sometimes the focus gets drawn to off-field issues but it hasn't really affected our team," Cummins told reporters on the eve of the first Test.

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