Australia batsman Usman Khawaja has withdrawn from the upcoming Australian Open Pro-Am golfing tournament and sparked backlash after playing golf the day before the first Ashes Test.
Khawaja had been scheduled to play at the tournament at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club on 3 December, the day before the second Test begins in Brisbane.
But the Australian PGA said he had pulled out following this weekend’s first Test, when he was affected by back spasms.
The 38-year-old did not open the batting as usual after he fell foul of a bizarre rule at the end of England’s innings. Having left the field to receive treatment for the physical issue he failed to return before the last English wicket fell, meaning he had to stay off the pitch for 10 minutes, leaving Australia’s preferred No 3 Marnus Labuschagne and debutant Jake Weatherald to open.
He eventually came in at No 4, scoring just two runs before his dismissal by Brydon Carse, and Travis Head’s heroics meant Khawaja was not required to bat.
Reports later alleged that he had played a round of golf the evening before the Test began, drawing the ire of fans and former players.
Former fast bowler Mitchell Johnson wrote in The West Australian: “I’m not against players using golf as a way to switch off. But you’ve got to be professional too.”
Khawaja appeared to make a dig at his critics by including a picture of a golf course on an Instagram post celebrating Australia’s victory in the first Test. The post, captioned “What a week! It had it all AU”, received the approval of captain Pat Cummins, who replied with a golfer emoji.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg downplayed Khawaja’s decision, saying that several other members of the team had played golf prior to the start of the Test.
He told SEN: “It's not uncommon for a lot of them to play golf one day prior. A lot of people talk about cricket being played between the ears, and so getting some time away from being in your hotel or training, I think is really important.
“I think Usman’s a very seasoned campaigner. He knows his body well, and he knows how to get himself prepared for cricket, and he’s done it over a long period of time.”
However, he is a doubt for the second Test at The Gabba, with Australia coach Andrew McDonald saying: “I’m not sure where he’s at, medically.
“There was discussions around further investigation to whether [the back issue] was more serious than what we first anticipated. We get to camp in six days time so it’s a long way out, a lot of information to gather between now and then. Hopefully he’s fit and available for selection.”
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