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Usman Khawaja is set to face an official notice from Cricket Australia after he openly slammed the Perth Stadium pitch used for the first Ashes Test, calling it a “piece of s**t” while speaking at a charity function earlier this week. According to reports, Khawaja’s comments did not sit well with CA officials, especially since match referee Ranjan Madugalle had given the surface a “very good” rating, which is the highest category an ICC referee can assign. Madugalle had praised the pitch for offering “good carry, limited seam movement, and consistent early bounce,” describing the two-day match as a fair contest for both batters and bowlers.
Khawaja delivered a far harsher verdict at the event. He argued that the dramatic collapse of wickets on the opening day and the repeated blows suffered by batters showed that the surface had unpredictable bounce. He highlighted how even Steve Smith, whom he described as the finest player he has ever shared a dressing room with, struggled to find the middle of the bat. “Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit, that’s a great wicket, that seems real fair. 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. Up and down (movement) is the hardest, sideways is a little bit easier, but up and down, your hands can’t catch up. So, day one wicket at Perth is a piece of s**t, I’m happy to say that. It has been last year; it was this year,” Khawaja said while speaking at an event for the Usman Khawaja Foundation. He also pointed out that the pitch usually becomes more stable after the first day, with Days 2 and 3 typically offering the best batting conditions. “They do get better. Day two, day three, and then day four, they start to crack up and cure again. We know day two, day three is usually the best time to bat. So, whenever we play in Perth, it’s one of the few places we win the toss and bat first, hoping that we can bat again maybe the end of day two and into day three,” he added. Cricket Australia is expected to address the matter formally, as Khawaja’s remarks have sparked attention not only for their blunt language but also for openly challenging the ICC’s top rating of the same wicket.
