The ICC called the Perth pitch ‘very good’. Usman Khawaja called it something very different

Usman Khawaja could be in hot water with Cricket Australia after declaring the day one pitch at Perth’s Optus Stadium a “piece of shit”.

Despite the Ashes opener being a two-day Test, the pitch was given the best possible rating by the International Cricket Council.

Match referee Ranjan Madugalle rated the pitch “very good” in a match Australia won by eight wickets inside two days.

Khawaja, who made two runs in the first innings and did not bat in the second, slammed the condition of the surface at a venue where he averages 32.55 from five Tests.

Speaking at a lunch for the Usman Khawaja Foundation – which provides funding, education opportunities and grants for refugees and struggling remote and rural families – the veteran opener did not hold back.

“[There were] 19 wickets on the first day, about 20 people got hit – that’s a great wicket, that seems real fair?” Khawaja said.

“The same thing happened last year, that day one wicket ...

“Steve Smith is by far the best cricketer I’ve played with. He’s missing the middle of his bat by a long way, and he does not miss the middle of the bat. You can’t really predict up and down; your hands can’t catch up.

“Day one wicket is a piece of shit, I’m happy to say that. They do get better day two, day three, but day four they start to crack up again. We know day two and day three is usually the best time to bat, that’s why whenever we play at Perth and we win the toss we bat first hoping that we can bat again maybe end of day two into day three.”

Cricket Australia has been contacted for comment.

On Thursday, CA chief of cricket James Allsopp said: “The match referee’s ‘very good’ rating justifies our belief Perth Stadium produced a pitch that provided a fair balance between bat and ball.”

Meanwhile, Khawaja declared the back spasms that cruelled his efforts in the first Ashes Test in Perth would not sideline him in Brisbane as Australia named an unchanged squad on Friday.

The 38-year-old was unable to open in the first innings after leaving the field to receive treatment, which forced a reshuffle of the batting order as Australia crumbled to be all out for 132. Khawaja returned to the field during England’s first innings, but he was not on the field long enough to be able to open the batting under cricket’s laws.

The back complaint flared again in England’s second innings when he attempted to take a high catch in the slips.

“I went off knowing I still wanted to open; I don’t want to bat anywhere else,” Khawaja said. “I went off, and I think they [England] were six down, and we just went bang, bang, wicket.

“I rushed back on, and then we take the next two wickets. That was the frustrating part for me, but I had no other option. I had anti-inflammatories, really strong ones. I had real strong painkillers all through that time – even in the morning – and got myself to a place where I could actually field again.

“My physio said, ‘You’re feeling good now, but the slightest movement can make it three times, four times, 10 times worse – that’s the risk’. Everything was going fine until that nick went over my head, and it was just a reaction, I couldn’t help it.

“As I landed I thought oh no … and then every ball I was trying to get down it just got worse and worse. I walked off the field and was pretty devastated; at that point I knew I wasn’t going to open.”

Travis Head then famously moved up to the top of the order in the second-innings run chase, posting an incredible century to inspire the victory and leave Khawaja – who has averaged 30.28 since the start of 2024 – on shaky ground to retain his place in the team.

Khawaja also confirmed he had a radiology appointment booked ahead of day three to get an epidural in his back so he could “actually move somewhat”.

But the Queenslander is adamant he will be ready for his shot at redemption at the Gabba.

“I feel good. I’d never experienced it before, but the last few days have been good. I’ve never had back spasms before, so it’s been quite new for me,” Khawaja said, while confirming he would not need to play with painkillers in the second Test if selected.

“I’ve been quite lucky. I’m 39 years old [on December 18] and have always had a pretty solid back. Rachel, my wife, has been taking care of me – she’s been letting me sleep in a fair bit actually, I’ve really been taking advantage of it. I should be right.”

While the same squad that ventured to Perth will gather in Brisbane, Khawaja’s place in the XI is not guaranteed.

Head’s ton – the equal second fastest by an Australian (69 balls) – has left the door ajar for the South Australian, who Khawaja joked was “a genius or a bogan” to take the opening slot full-time.

Should selectors take that approach, it would provide an opportunity for Josh Inglis – who struck a century for the Cricket Australia XI against the England Lions earlier in the week – or Beau Webster to come in at No.5.

Khawaja, however, has his share of supporters, with fellow Queensland opener Matt Renshaw – who has passed 100 three times already this Sheffield Shield season – telling reporters earlier this week his mentor was “one of the best cricketers that Australia had ever produced”.

While one of Australia’s greatest opener’s Matthew Hayden praised Head’s counter-attacking knock in Perth, he said the opening spots should remain a specialist position.

Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and now Head have all batted out of position in Australia’s quest to replace the retired David Warner long term, and Hayden was adamant that needed to stop.

“[Head] is kind of custom fit into a small run chase,” Hayden said. “Run chases when they’re sub-par have to be tackled with just zero fear, and so that was a compelling case for Trav in that custom-made situation.

“And it could have been very different, if Trav gets out playing the way he does. I don’t agree with the theory of having your best six batters, that doesn’t work.

“Specialist opening batters matter, and we’ve got a beauty here in Matty Renshaw as well. He’s mounting another case … it’s hard work at the top, it’s like the front row forward, you don’t necessarily score a lot of tries, but you absorb pressure.”