Cricket Australia on Saturday defended underfire Usman Khawaja for failing to begin the innings due to back stiffness during a round of golf on the eve of the first Ashes Test in Perth.
The 38-year-old departed the Perth Stadium field on Friday as England’s innings was coming to a finish and wickets were falling quickly. According to the rules, he was not permitted to bat until the same length of time had passed because he was gone for more than eight minutes.
As a result, Marnus Labuschagne had to start ahead of Jake Weatherald, and the rookie opener was dismissed for a two-ball duck.
Steve Smith was subsequently compelled to enter the innings at three, and Khawaja finally appeared at four. The innings had not yet reached eight minutes. He only survived six balls.
Tom Moody told broadcaster ABC that he was “stunned” by Khawaja’s inability to open and the initial confusion surrounding the reason behind it.
“Absolutely poor management,” Moody said. “At the end of the day, to gamble on the fact that he could come back on the field when England is eight down (is a big risk).
“That is beyond a joke. He is our most experienced top-order player. We needed Khawaja at the front to lead the batting unit into this series.”
Darren Lehmann, a former coach for Australia, called it “disappointing.” “We needed him out there facing the first ball,” he added.
Khawaja reportedly skipped optional training on Thursday to play golf, but Todd Greenberg, the head of Cricket Australia, stated that the back stiffness was a pre-existing problem.
“It’s held him in good stead over the last couple of years,” Greenberg told SEN radio of playing golf.
“It’s not uncommon for a lot of them to play golf the day prior. A lot of people talk about cricket being played between the ears, and so getting some time away from being in your hotel or training I think is really important.”
He cited Mitchell Starc taking 7-58 in England’s opening innings while on the golf course with Khawaja.
“I noticed Mitch Starc played golf with him, so it certainly didn’t impact his performance,” he said.
“Did that correlate to any of the issues? I personally don’t think so. I think Usman’s a very seasoned campaigner. He knows his body well and he knows how to get himself prepared for cricket, and he’s done it over a long period of time. So I think that’s drawing a long bow.”
