Cricket Australia officers will meet with Usman Khawaja this week and ask the opener to elucidate himself over criticism of the Perth pitch, because the governing physique weighs up whether or not to sanction him for labelling it a ‘piece of s**t’.
Khawaja raised eyebrows on Friday when he hit out on the floor for the primary Take a look at, only a day after the ICC handed it the very best attainable score of ‘excellent’.
Talking at a fundraising lunch for the Usman Khawaja Basis, the Take a look at veteran criticised the wicket’s variable bounce throughout Australia’s eight-wicket win.
He additionally pointed to the actual fact 19 wickets had been misplaced on day one this 12 months in opposition to England, and 17 final 12 months within the collection opener between Australia and India.
CA officers are believed to be dissatisfied by the remarks, and can converse with Khawaja in camp forward of the second Ashes Take a look at on the Gabba.
The Perth Take a look at was the shortest in Australia in 93 years, and the second shortest of all time within the nation, with simply 847 balls bowled in your entire match.
Usman Khawaja (pictured with spouse Rachel) blasted the Perth pitch as a ‘piece of s**t’ regardless of the Worldwide Cricket Council giving the wicket its highest attainable score
The out-of-form batter will now be sweating on an upcoming assembly with Cricket Australia, at which he’ll have to elucidate himself as he faces attainable sanctions for the comment
‘Nineteen wickets on the primary day and about 20 folks received hit. That is an excellent wicket, that appears actual truthful,’ Khawaja mentioned on the luncheon.
‘The identical factor occurred final 12 months within the India Take a look at. It is simply that day-one wicket, the ball simply doesn’t react.
‘Steve Smith’s by far the very best cricketer I’ve ever performed with and he is lacking the center of his bat by a great distance.
‘He doesn’t miss the center of his bat, (but) he is getting hit within the elbow.
‘So day-one wicket at Perth is a bit of shit, I am comfortable to say that. Has been final 12 months, it was this 12 months.’
CA this week praised the wicket, with chief of cricket James Allsopp saying the ICC’s score had justified head workplace’s view that the pitch supplied ‘a good stability between bat and ball’.
The score additionally shone a light-weight on the vacationers’ poor batting, which was labelled ‘brainless’ by the likes of former England opener Geoffrey Boycott after they confronted simply 68.3 overs throughout two innings.
However Khawaja was adamant the Perth pitch was nonetheless not ok, with the 38-year-old’s predominant concern being variable bounce.
English stars rejoice taking Khawaja’s wicket within the first innings of the Perth Take a look at, with the Aussie later blasting the monitor’s unpredictable bounce
Khawaja, 38, was unable to open the batting for Australia in Perth after spending an excessive amount of time without work the sector being handled for again spasms
‘You may’t actually predict up and down. Up and down is the toughest. Sideways is a little bit bit simpler,’ he mentioned.
‘However up and down, your palms cannot catch up.
‘They do get higher. Day two, day three after which day 4, they begin to crack up and remedy once more.
‘Every time we play at Perth, it is one of many few locations we win the toss, bat first, hoping that we are able to bat once more possibly on the finish of day two and into day three.’
Khawaja’s speak with officers comes with strain on his spot on the prime of the order, with considerations over each his health and type in Perth.
Again spasms meant he was unable to open for Australia in both innings in Perth, permitting for Travis Head to attain a match-winning century within the fourth-innings chase.
Khawaja is assured he might be match to play in Brisbane, together with his again having improved, whereas additionally insisting he had paid no consideration to requires him to be dropped from the facet and Head moved as much as open the batting.
