Usman Khawaja has shared strong views after the first Test in Perth. The ICC said the wicket at Perth Stadium was fine. They rated it “very good.” But Khawaja strongly disagreed.
He spoke at a fundraising event for the Usman Khawaja Foundation in Brisbane. This was his first public comment since the Test. He said the surface on day one was terrible, describing it as a ‘piece of sh*t’. He said it was the same last year and again this year.
Khawaja explained that batting becomes easier on day two and day three. He said teams usually bat first in Perth because they expect better conditions later in the match. The first Test finished inside two days, which added to the debate.
Meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood hopes to play later in the Ashes. He suffered a hamstring injury during a Sheffield Shield match before the first Test. His return date is still unclear.
Hazlewood bowled in the nets in Sydney this week. He used a red ball and felt good. He said recovery is slow but steady. He said it is hard to set a timeline. He hopes to join the “back end” of the series. He also hopes Australia are already ahead by then.
Hazlewood praised Pat Cummins as well. He said the Australian captain looked ready for a return in Brisbane. Cummins bowled with the pink ball earlier in the week and looked sharp. But selectors later left him out of the squad.
Australia won the first Test in Perth with Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Brendan Doggett as the pace trio. The next Ashes Tests will be in Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
