Cricket Australia To Take Action On Usman Khawaja After Blasting Perth Pitch

Usman Khawaja was expected to be formally notified by Cricket Australia for his criticism of the Perth Stadium pitch.

Australian opener Usman Khawaja is likely to receive a formal notice from Cricket Australia. This comes after he strongly criticized the pitch used for the first Ashes Test at Perth Stadium.

The notice follows Khawaja’s comments at a charity event for his foundation. He described the wicket as a “piece of s**t.” Cricket Australia officials were reportedly unhappy with the remarks. Their displeasure was heightened because the ICC match referee, Ranjan Madugalle, had rated the pitch “very good.” This is the highest rating possible from an ICC official.

Madugalle’s assessment came after the Test match ended within two days. He stated the pitch had “good carry, limited seam movement, and consistent early bounce.” He believed it provided a balanced contest between batters and bowlers. Khawaja, however, held a completely different view of the surface.

Khawaja’s Frank Assessment of the Pitch

“Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit, that’s a great wicket, that seems real fair. Steve Smith’s by far the best cricketer I’ve ever played with, and he’s missing the middle of his bat by a long way – he does not miss the middle of his bat. He’s getting hit in the elbow. Up and down (movement) is the hardest, sideways is a little bit easier, but up and down, your hands can’t catch up. So, day one wicket at (Perth) is a piece of s**t, I’m happy to say that. It has been last year; it was this year,” Khawaja had said at an event for his Usman Khawaja Foundation.

He noted that the pitch conditions usually improve after the first day. “They do get better. Day two, day three, and then day four, they start to crack up and cure again. We know day two, day three is usually the best time to bat. So, whenever we play in Perth, it’s one of the few places we win the toss and bat first, hoping that we can bat again maybe the end of day two and into day three,” the Queenslander added.

Cricket Australia is expected to address the matter formally. The situation has gained attention due to Khawaja’s blunt language and the direct contradiction of the ICC’s official rating.