Cricket Australia (CA) officials, “disappointed” by opener Usman Khawaja’s scathing comments on the Perth Test pitch, plan to meet the Pakistan-born Australian batsman ahead of the second Ashes Test at the Gabba, to consider if a disciplinary action is necessary.
Khawaja is set to meet CA officials this week after sparking controversy with his criticism of the pitch using cuss word during a public appearance.
Khawaja made the remarks on Friday while speaking at a fundraising lunch for the Usman Khawaja Foundation, just a day after the ICC awarded the Perth surface its highest possible rating of “very good”.
His comments surprised many, given the endorsement from world cricket’s governing body.
The left-hander expressed frustration over what he described as inconsistent and dangerous variable bounce during Australia’s eight-wicket win in the opening Ashes Test.
He highlighted that 19 wickets fell on day one this year against England, along with 17 wickets falling on day one during last year’s series opener between Australia and India.
The Perth Test was the shortest played in Australia in 93 years—and the second shortest ever in the country—with only 847 balls bowled across both innings.
At the luncheon, Khawaja said the surface had been substandard for consecutive years.
“Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit. That’s a great wicket, that seems real fair,” Khawaja remarked sarcastically.
“Steve Smith is the best cricketer I’ve ever played with, and he’s missing the middle of his bat by a long way. He doesn’t miss the middle of his bat, yet he’s getting hit in the elbow,” the cricketer said while criticising the pitch.
Cricket Australia, however, stood by the pitch, with head of cricket James Allsopp saying the ICC’s rating validated their assessment that the wicket offered “a fair balance between bat and ball.”
The rating also shifted scrutiny onto England’s batting, which was slammed as “brainless” by former opener Geoffrey Boycott after the tourists lasted just 68.3 overs across two innings.
Khawaja maintained that his primary concern was the unpredictable bounce.
“You can’t really predict up and down. Up and down is the hardest. Sideways is little bit easier,” he said. But up and down, your hands can’t catch up. They do get better. Day two, day three and then day four, they start to crack up and cure again.
“Whenever we play at Perth, it’s one of the few places we win the toss, bat first, hoping that we can bat again maybe at the end of day two and into day three.”
The controversy comes at a time when Khawaja’s place in the XI is under pressure due to concerns about his fitness and form.
Back spasms prevented him from opening in either innings in Perth, with Travis Head stepping up and scoring a match-winning century in the fourth-innings chase.
Khawaja insists he will be fit for the Brisbane Test and says he is unfazed by calls for him to be dropped or replaced at the top of the order.
