Veteran Australian opener Usman Khawaja has found himself at the centre of a brewing storm after his decision to play golf in the days leading up to the first Test in Perth backfired spectacularly.
The Golf Controversy That Sparked Outrage
The 38-year-old batsman, who turns 39 in December, suffered back spasms during the Test match and was unable to face the opening deliveries in either innings. His performance with the bat was dismal, managing just two runs throughout the entire match.
Criticism intensified when it emerged that Khawaja had played golf the day before the Test and missed an optional training session. Further investigation revealed he'd played three rounds of golf in three days ahead of the crucial match against Pakistan.
Social Media Response Fuels Fire
Rather than apologising, Khawaja took to social media on Monday night to further stir the pot. He posted a series of photos captioned "What a week! It had it all" that included images of his teammates celebrating wickets but notably excluded any photos of Travis Head, whose spectacular century won the match for Australia and potentially threatens Khawaja's position as opener.
The post attracted mixed reactions from fellow cricketers. Australian captain Pat Cummins responded with a golf swing emoji, while former opener Dave Warner commented "Foreeeeeee". Channel 7 cricket expert Trent Copeland added laughing emojis to the conversation.
Growing Calls for Khawaja to Be Dropped
Former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson questioned Khawaja's professionalism, stating: "Everyone has their way of preparing, and I'm not against players using golf as a way to switch off, but you've got to be professional too."
Johnson expressed disbelief at Khawaja playing 18 holes of golf the day before a Test match, suggesting the preparation may have contributed to the back spasms that hampered his performance.
Radio commentator and former rugby league star Jimmy Smith delivered a particularly brutal assessment: "This is an Australian golf representative who has a cricket problem. And the biggest cricket problem Usman Khawaja has right now is that cricket is his second favourite sport."
Selection Uncertainty Looms
Australia coach Andrew McDonald has failed to guarantee Khawaja will be selected for the second Test, even if he recovers from his back injury. "I'm not sure where he's at, medically," McDonald said, indicating there would be discussions about whether the injury was more serious than initially anticipated.
The timing couldn't be worse for Khawaja, who is averaging just 27.44 during the past two years. With Travis Head's match-winning century demonstrating what Australia's batting lineup might achieve with fresh blood, the pressure is mounting on selectors to make a change.
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg has attempted to downplay the connection between Khawaja's golf and his back issues, but the optics remain problematic for the veteran batsman whose future in the Test side now hangs in the balance.
