Usman Khawaja criticized the Perth pitch used for the first Ashes Test, calling it a ‘piece of s**t’ due to unpredictable bounce. His comments, made at a fundraising event, contradict the ICC’s ‘very good’ rating for the wicket and highlight issues with the pitch’s behavior, especially on day one, which Khawaja believes is unsafe. He cited the high number of wickets falling and batsmen getting hit as evidence. This is not the first time the pitch has been criticized, as similar issues were seen last year in the Australia vs. India test match.
Usman Khawaja has labelled the Perth pitch for the first Ashes Test a “piece of s**t” in a diatribe that could attract attention from Cricket Australia. Just a day after the ICC gave the Optus Stadium wicket full marks with its highest possible rating of “very good”, Khawaja pulled no punches on the state of the pitch at the two-day Ashes opener.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Cummins ruled out of Gabba Test. Some 19 wickets fell on the first day in the England match, after 17 were also taken between Australia and India on day one of the Perth Test last year. Speaking at a fundraising lunch for the Usman Khawaja Foundation in Brisbane, Australia’s opener said: ‘”Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit. That’s a great wicket, that seems real fair. “The same thing happened last year in the India Test. It’s just that day-one wicket, the ball just does not react. “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. “So day-one wicket at Perth is a piece of shit, I’m happy to say that. Has been last year, it was this year.” Last week’s Ashes series opener lasted just 847 balls, with only a 1932-33 Test against South Africa at the MCG lasting less time for a result in Australia. England’s batting has been labelled “brainless” by critics including Geoffrey Boycott, with the all-out aggressive BazBall approach at threat of losing its appeal. But Khawaja was adamant the Perth pitch was still not good enough, with the 38-year-old’s main issue being variable bounce. “You can’t really predict up and down. Up and down is the hardest. Sideways is little bit easier,” Khawaja 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. “So 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.” Cricket Australia have defended the pitch, adamant during the week that the “very good” rating justified their belief the wicket created a “fair balance between bat and ball. Khawaja’s comments came after Mitchell Starc said last week that Australia’s players still wanted the Test summer to start at the Gabba. Perth’s Optus Stadium is locked in to host Australia’s first Test of next summer as well when New Zealand tour, before Adelaide is expected to take on the role in 2027-28. Khawaja’s back spasms meant he was unable to open for Australia in either innings in Perth, allowing for Travis Head to score a match-winning century in the fourth-innings chase. He made a point to field on day two so he could bat in Australia’s chase, despite warnings from team medical staff that the injury could get worse. The opener then succumbed to injury when jumping for a ball that flew over his head at slip, immediately feeling pain in his back on landing. “Before I went on the physio said, ‘Look, you’re feeling good now, the slightest movement can make it three, four or 10 times worse, that’s the risk’,” Khawaja said. “I was like, I either do that or I don’t open for my country. So I went out again, and everything was going fine, until that nick went over my head. “As I landed, I thought, ‘Oh no. Please, you’re good, it’s just mind over matter’. “And then every ball I was trying to get down to, it got worse … I had to call Carey over and I was like, ‘I can’t stand up’. “I walked off the field, and was pretty devastated.” Khawaja is confident he will be fit to play in Brisbane with his back having improved, while also insisting he had paid no attention to calls for him to be dropped from the side and Head moved to open. He spent one night this week sleeping with a pregnancy pillow, and while that didn’t work the veteran said at this stage there was no need for further injections. “I’ve never had back spasms before, so it’s very new to me,” Khawaja said. “But the last few days, it’s been good.”
Usman Khawaja Ashes Perth Pitch Cricket Controversy
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