Cricket Australia set to speak with Usman Khawaja after he labelled Perth Ashes Test pitch a 'piece of shit'
Usman Khawaja was out for a six-ball 2 in the first innings of the Ashes and did not bat in the second. (Getty Images: Philip Brown)
In short:
Despite the ICC giving the Perth Stadium pitch its highest possible rating, Usman Khawaja has labelled it a "piece of shit".
Nineteen wickets fell on day one of the two-day Ashes opener, while 17 fell on day one in Perth against India last year.
What's next?
Cricket Australia is believed to be disappointed by the remarks and will speak with Khawaja ahead of the second Ashes Test at the Gabba.
Cricket Australia (CA) officials will meet with Usman Khawaja and ask the opener to explain himself over criticism of the Perth pitch, as they weigh up whether to sanction him for labelling it a "piece of shit".
Just a day after the ICC gave the Perth Stadium wicket full marks with its highest possible rating of "very good", Khawaja pulled no punches on the state of the pitch for the two-day Ashes opener.
Speaking at a fundraising lunch for the Usman Khawaja Foundation, the Test veteran criticised the wicket's variable bounce during Australia's eight-wicket win.
He also pointed to the fact 19 wickets were lost on day one this year against England and 17 in the 2024/25 series opener between Australia and India.
CA officials are believed to be disappointed by the remarks and will speak with Khawaja in camp ahead of the second Ashes Test at the Gabba.
The Perth Test was the shortest in Australia in 93 years and the second shortest of all time in the country, with just 847 balls bowled in the entire match.
"Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit. That's a great wicket, that seems real fair," Khawaja sarcastically said at the luncheon.
"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, [but] 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."
Back spasms forced Khawaja from the field for long periods of the first Test. (Getty Images: Darrian Traynor)
CA this week praised the wicket, with its chief of cricket James Allsopp saying the ICC's rating had justified head office's view the pitch provided "a fair balance between bat and ball".
The rating also shone a light on the tourists' poor batting, which was labelled "brainless" by the likes of former England opener Geoffrey Boycott after they faced just 68.3 overs across two innings.
But Khawaja was adamant the Perth pitch was still not good enough, with his main issue being variable 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."
AAP